Update:
The late Tara Palmer-Tomkinson’s sister Santa Montefiore has taken to Twitter to announce Tara didn’t die of a brain tumour, as was widely reported.
She revealed Tara died of natural causes – from a perforated ulcer – and says the family will release a full statement later.
She also revealed she “had plans, trips and had written a moving new song” and “was not in a dark place as some have disappointingly sought to suggest”.
It is not yet clear if Mrs Montefiore meant her sister had the tumour removed before her death or that she had never had one.
More as we get it.
Original story:
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, who revealed just three months ago that she was receiving treatment for a non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland, has been found dead in her London flat aged 45.
Her death is being treated as “unexplained.”
Police officers were called by London Ambulance Service at approximately 1.40pm on Wednesday to the socialite’s upmarket apartment located in South London.
According to a spokesman for the Metropolitan police, “A woman, aged in her 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene. At this early stage the death is being treated as unexplained. We are not treating this death as suspicious. The coroner has been informed and the next of kin has been informed.”
Palmer-Tomkinson was the the daughter of former British Olympic skier Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, who was a close friend of Prince Charles.
Prince Charles was the one-time model’s Godfather.
Palmer-Tomkinson with the Duchess of Cambridge in 2007.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have released a statement in which they express their sadness at the death of the reality TV star, who most recently appeared on the hit show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
In the statement, the royal couple said they were “deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family”.
The 45-year-old discovered the brain tumour last year when she visited a doctor over concerns that she felt run down.
She told The Daily Mail she feared she’d only have a few weeks to live:
“I’ve carried this secret for a year. I wanted to deal with my illness privately but there have been so many rumours flying around. I went to the doctors to talk about my latest blood test results when I got back from skiing in January. I said ‘What does this mean?’ And the doctor said: ‘As I suspected, you have a brain tumour.’ I got terribly frightened. I started thinking, ‘I’m going to die. I’ve only got a couple of weeks to live.’”
The socialite attended the Royal Wedding in 2011.
Palmer-Tomkinson’s tumour was non-malignant, and it has been reported that drugs had reduced the size of it.
“I actually feel very lucky,” she continued. “My growth was non-malignant but it affected the production of prolactin. I’ve been with people who have malignant brain tumours so I don’t want to be like, ‘Hey, look at me.’ I have been – touch wood – luckier. I’ve taken medication and, thankfully, it seems to have gone away for now.”
Tara famously battled a cocaine addiction and had surgeries on her nose when her septum collapsed. She says some publications blamed her recent fragility on drugs when it’s simply not the case.
Our thoughts are with the Palmer-Tomkinson family and the entire British Royal Family.
