Former British socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, a close friend of Prince Charles, died on Wednesday at the age of 45, a year after being diagnosed with a non-malignant brain tumour.

The heir to the throne and his wife Camilla led the tributes, saying they were “deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family”.

Police said they were called to a central London address at lunchtime and a woman 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,” a spokesman said.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Palmer-Tomkinson regularly made headlines for her hard partying, exhibitionist streak, and high-profile cocaine addiction.

A close friend of the royal family, she had attended the wedding of Charles’ son Prince William and his wife Kate in 2011.

She was also a newspaper columnist and television personality, speaking candidly about her battle with drugs and her health problems — including in recent months, her tumour.

Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “Her honesty helped to raise awareness of the disease.

source : gulfnews