Royal It Girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson’s cause of death revealed

BRITISH socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was said to be battling a brain tumour when she died — but now her family have revealed that’s not the case.

TARA Palmer-Tomkinson died in her sleep due to a perforated ulcer and did not have a brain tumour, according to her heartbroken sister.

Santa Montefiore took to Twitter to reveal the details of a coroner’s report which found the socialite had developed peritonitis before she died at the age of 45 earlier this month, The Sun reports.

She paid a moving tribute to her after she died last week and today confirmed a private family funeral will take place next week.

The socialite attending William and Kate’s 2011 wedding. Picture: pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

She added that Tara had been in “high spirits in her last days” and had been planning trips, as well as writing a new song.

A friend previously revealed the former It girl had come to terms with her death after being diagnosed with a tumour.

A family statement was also released this afternoon, stating that Tara’s funeral will be held on February 27.

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. 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 February 27. 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.’

Palmer-Tomkinson greets her godfather Prince Charles in 2003. Picture: AP

In November, she said she was being treated for a non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland and added she feared she would die after being told of her condition.

It was reported she had “predicted her own death” and was in “£200,000 of debt” before she died.

She said she was diagnosed with the tumour last January after she returned from a ski trip, and was also suffering with an auto-immune disease which caused tiredness, joint pain and acute anaemia.

Palmer-Tomkinson’s close friends the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were among the first to pay tribute.

The ‘It girl’s family have refuted reports she was depressed before her death. Picture: AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File

The royal couple said they were “deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family” shortly after the news broke.

This story originally appeared in The Sun and appears here with permission.

Originally published as Royal It Girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson’s cause of death revealed