Tara Palmer-Tomkinson's sister reveals REAL cause of socialite's death
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Santa Montefiore has revealed the real cause of her sister Tara Palmer-Tomkinson's death was not a brain tumour.
Thanking Tara's supporters, Santa added that her beloved sister didn't have a brain tumour at the time of her death, despite saying she had a growth on her pituitary gland last November.
Taking to Twitter, the author thanked fans for their support since the socialite's death and explained that she died from a perforated ulcer.
"I've been so touched by the warm response to Tara's death," she wrote.
"Thank you from the whole family. But I'd like to clarify a couple of points.
"Today the Coroner's report states that Tara died of natural causes – a perforated ulcer. She did not have a brain tumour."
Santa went on: "Contrary to some reports, Tara was not the goddaughter of HRH the Prince of Wales.
"Tara's good friends & family know that she was in high spirits in her last days. She had plans, trips & had written a moving new song.
"Lastly there will be a fuller statement from the PT family later today. Thank you again."
(Photo: Rex Features)
(Photo: PA)
A statement from the family confirmed Tara's funeral will be held on February 27th.
It read: "We would like to thank the many people who have contacted us about Tara following her untimely death.
"It has been a source of great comfort to know how loved she was by so many people.
"Tara died peacefully in her sleep due to a perforated ulcer and peritonitis.
"Those that knew and were close to Tara knew that there was no retreat to a 'dark place' as some have disappointingly sought to suggest.
(Photo: WENN)
"In the last few weeks Tara was happy, positive and making plans for when she recovered her health.
"As usual she had been busy with the friends and family she loved, and who loved her in return.
"She was in communication with her family and others of whom she was fond over her final weekend and had spent a lot of her time recording music and playing the piano in her apartment – a sure sign that she was happy and feeling good.
"Tara's funeral will be on the 27th February. This will be a private moment for family and close friends to grieve and we would ask that our privacy at this time is respected.
"We will miss Tara very much and will never forget the joy, love and humour she bought to our lives."
(Photo: AFP)
A perforated ulcer is when an untreated stomach ulcer burns through the wall of the stomach and allows liquids to leak into the abdominal cavity. It tends to require surgery to fix.
Tara had given an interview in November 2016 revealing that she'd been diagnosed with a brain tumour in January of that year, following months of feeling sluggish and exhausted.
She was given tests and was eventually told about the growth on her pituitary gland.
(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Rex Features)
In an emotional interview with the Daily Mail just three months ago, she said: "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? Can you translate it?' 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'm going to die. I've only got a couple of weeks to live.' Stuff like that."
Tara went on: "It's that word, isn't it? But then one of the doctors said: 'Hang on a minute, would it help if you called it a wart or a growth?'
"They said: 'Tara, yes, it's a big scary word which you will keep hearing — but don't get out of control over it. A tumour can go across the board of many different things.'"
(Photo: Getty)
Tara's body was found by her cleaner at around 1.30pm on Wednesday 8th February.
The Portuguese cleaner, who is in her 30s, arrived at Tara's west London flat at around 1.30pm on Wednesday and was heard crying by builders renovating the apartment below.
The 45-year-old former model had been heard hoovering and walking around her flat the previous Wednesday and had previously complained several times about the builders to the flat's owner.
Five builders renovating the property since September say they saw the cleaner visit the flat twice a week.
(Photo: PA)
The former It Girl, who lived in a plush fifth floor apartment in Earls Court, had also failed to collect three item of post from downstairs.
A footmat with a cartoon image of her carrying designer bags is at the entrance to her flat.
One of the builders, who last saw her on Saturday January 14th, said: "We could hear her walking around upstairs last week.
"She was cleaning. We could hear hoovering on Wednesday.
"It was the cleaner who found her. She was crying and it was very quiet before she arrived and set off the alarm."
* More to follow