Santa Montefiore

Santa Montefiore (née Palmer-Tomkinson; born 2 February 1970) is a British author. 2Early life Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson on 2 February 1970 in Winchester. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, formerly High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson (née Dawson), of Anglo-Argentine background. Her father, and other members of her family, represented Great Britain in skiing at Olympic level. The Palmer-Tomkinson family are substantial land-owners in Leicestershire. She had a sister, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, known as a "socialite" and charity patron. Santa Montefiore said that growing up on the family farm gave her an "idyllic Swallows and Amazons childhood". She also describes her upbringing as "sheltered, Sloaney". She was educated at the Hanford School from the age of eight to twelve. She then attended Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, where, in the sixth form, she became Head of her house (a role of responsibility similar to a prefect