Following the sad death of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson this week, her close friend Duncan James has opened up about their bond and has said he takes comfort from the fact Tara is now at peace. The Blue singer shared his heartbreak over Tara's tragic death in his column for The Sun. "I could talk all day about her because that is how much she meant to me and how much she affected my life on a daily basis and so many hearts are broken who knew and loved Tara and she will be missed so very much," he wrote.
The London socialite, who was good friends with Prince Charles, passed away at her London home aged 45, on Wednesday - just three months after she had revealed that she was battling a brain tumour. Speaking about the "demons" she faced, Duncan added: "She sadly battled many demons and now she will be truly at rest without being frightened or scared." The former pop star, who now stars in Hollyoaks, also believed Tara would have loved a family of her own. He noted: "I know deep down Tara would have loved nothing more than to meet someone, settle down and be happy. We always joked that we would grow old together and be the best of friends for life."
© Photo: Getty ImagesDuncan James opened up about his close friendship with Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
STORY: Prince Charles and Camilla lead the tributes
When the news of Tara's death was announced, Duncan took to his Instagram page to share a loving tribute to his friend. "Today I lost a best friend but heaven gained a naughty little angel," he said in the caption. "Oh how we laughed and laughed and I will miss that the most. No one made me smile the way you did and I'm going to be lost without hearing your voice. Rest in peace my shmoo. Love u so so much." [sic]
© Photo: ITVHolly Willoughby paid a loving tribute to friend Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Elsewhere, various stars in the industry took to their respective pages to pay tribute to Tara. This Morning's Holly Willoughby shared a picture of the pair of them as she touched upon her late friend's kindness. In the caption, she wrote, "Will miss your kindness, beautiful lady," alongside a broken-heart emoji. Piers Morgan posted a photo on Twitter and captioned it: "RIP Tara Palmer Tomkinson, 45. A fun, feisty woman who battled many demons. Very sad news." Gok Wan tweeted: "So sad to hear of TPT passing away. So young..." Perez Hilton also wrote: "So very sad to hear of the all-too-young death of @TPTpersonified!!"
Meanwhile, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla released a statement - via Clarence House - expressing their sorrow. They said: "We are deeply saddened and our thoughts are so much with the family." Charles, 68, was the godfather of Tara, who sadly passed away at London home on Wednesday 8 February at the age of 45. Her death is being treated as "unexplained" by police but not "suspicious".
