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Santa Palmer-Tomkinson

Joanna Briscoe
Sunday 27 September 1998 00:02 BST
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Main claim: Well, erm. Santa is famous for being the sister of the woman famous for being the daughter of friends of Prince Charles. Now there's a claim to fame, readers. Older sister of the ubiquitous and quite fabulously irritating Tara, Santa, far from desperately grasping at fame in the me-me-me style of her sister, has it somewhat thrust upon her. Having recently passed her initiation into the Jewish faith, she is about to marry journalist and broadcaster Simon Sebag-Montefiore. We are talking names-and-a-half on this wedding invitation...

Look out for the arrival of little Rollo and Hypatia Palmer-Tomkinson- Sebag-Montefiore.

Appearance: Tall, slender, cheekboned model to Tara's wannabe. Willowy and pretty in gentle horse style, she combines Fifties actress looks with rangy Sloane grace.

Fame game: Pictured in social columns and given to very occasional, shy Hello! poses, she tends to look bemused while her sister leaps around with an iron-jawed grin, Santa is an It girl by default. And that's really the sum of our heroine's fame.

Seed time: Santa is allegedly named after a barley crop, and not in a fit of Catholic optimism or a childish fondness for a man in a white beard. She is the daughter of Hampshire farmer and landowner (1,200 acres, sweeties) Charlie Palmer-Tomkinson, a skiing pal of HRH, and Patti, donor of the cheekbones as a former model, who was badly injured in the avalanche that killed a royal aide. Santa has a married brother. She converted to Judaism in preparation for her wedding, and was seen sporting a Star of David at the party for the merger of Asprey and Garrad. Her publicity and marketing work is firmly behind-the-scenes stuff.

Sister love: Despite vastly different temperaments, publicity addictions and irritation factors, Santa and her more famous sister appear close. With no trace of the Dannii Minogue-style "look at me too, or I'll scream and scream" syndrome, Santa affectionately terms Tara "impish", while hiding herself in a golden haze of shy sweetness and intact dignity. The sisters even shared a flat until recently. Santa's generally successful avoidance of the press must take Houdini-esqe skills. "I need to escape from all the attention. The paparazzi make life very difficult sometimes," Tara has said. What's that overhead? Oh, it's only a winged pig.

Fame prospects: The shires and the dogs, where all It girls are set to disappear, will probably suit Santa to a T. While Tara may take to sporting see-through dresses at village fetes and calling up the Cirencester Herald, Santa will probably enjoy a happy marriage and make the occasional appearance in The Lady. Whatever Happened to Baby Tara?

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