Constantly in the news, bubbly, scatty, rich, aristocratic, strong Royal connections – Tara Palmer Tomkinson was an effervescent personality who at one point seemed to have it all. Yet scrape off the glitter from the famous-for-being-famous IT girl of the 1990s, and inside was bleakness and zero self-worth.
A friend wrote: ‘At parties, she would put on a good show for the cameras and then want to leave 15 minutes later. Then she would be up all night Googling herself to find out what pictures had come out and what they were saying about her. If this sounds self-absorbed, it wasn’t that, it was simply – and rather sadly – that she was deeply insecure and craved the validation – they hadn’t forgotten about her.’
Another friend from a similar background: ‘We were from a generation and family background in which girls were brought up with low expectations that didn’t extend much beyond a good marriage and becoming a mother. For people with insecurities and self-doubt, publicity can become an addictive drug that bolsters confidence and reassures them of their place in the world.’ Shades of Princess Diana.
She herself said: ‘Of course, I haven’t earned [fame] and I didn’t feel I was worth it, and going to all those endless parties, it made me feel worth a pile of s***.”
On taking drugs – “Because I had no confidence. Didn’t feel worth anything.”
On being posh: “Holidays, princes and cashmere, those are the best bits. And the drugs are quite good with being posh, because you can afford better ones.” The downside: Posh people don’t have a lot of love in their lives, to be honest.”
Born 23 December 1971, with a landowner, Olympic-level skier father, a close friend of Prince Charles, she was a Capricorn Sun square a Mars in late Pisces opposition Pluto – so trapped, frustrated, feeling she had no choices in life. Plus a tough, loveless Air Grand Trine of Venus in Aquarius trine Saturn trine Pluto, formed into a Kite with a neurotic Saturn opposition Neptune – making Neptune the leading planet, so no surprises she ended up with a serious drug habit, into which she had possibly relapsed when she was found dead at 45 this week by her twice-weekly cleaner, living alone in her £4 million London apartment.
(perforated ulcer)
Interestingly, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was born two days later on Dec. 25, 1971. Like Palmer Tomkinson, he has a broad conjunction of Venus and North Node in Pisces. Saturn oppose Neptune can get you down in the dumps. With Trudeau, it seems to be idealistic visions of government. Perhaps Palmer Tomkinson would have fared better if she had devoted herself to some kind of service. (And, of course, she may have very well had a pet cause; I’m not that familiar with her life other than as a friend of the Royals and a party girl.)
(loneliness and grief?)