Prince Charles’ close friend Tara Palmer-Tomkinson died ‘due to ulcer’

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The cause of death for Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has been revealed.

The socialite and TV personality died age 45 at her west London home last week.

Her sister, author Santa Montefiore, has revealed the cause of death following speculation.

Ms Montefiore said a coroner found Ms Palmer-Tomkinson had died of “natural causes” and “did not have a brain tumour”.

She said: “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.”

Palmer-Tomkinson is due be buried in a private service on February 27.

It was also revealed she had offered to be a surrogate mum to her friend, out gay business man Ivan Massow.

Mr Massow told the Telegraph: “About six years ago when she knew I wanted to have a baby, we talked about the possibility of her carrying my child.

“We looked into it but realised that as she was already 38 by then (and really quite frail) it wouldn’t be possible for her to have IVF.

“When she realised it wasn’t going to happen she started making jokes about it in that rather stoic way of hers.”

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The socialite was a close friend of the royals, and was known for kinship with Prince Charles.

It was originally thought she had died from consequences of a brain tumour, which she had been diagnosed with the previous January.

She previously spoke out about her tumour last November, saying: “I’m not the person I was, I’m much calmer.

“I don’t go to places like Ibiza because the party world scares me.

“It used to really matter what people thought and said about me.

“Now, it doesn’t bother me whether people write that I’m off my face, on my face, in my face, whatever.

“It’s all pretty trivial compared to [this].

“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.”