1. Santa Montefiore was born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson on 2 February 1970 in Winchester.
10 Facts About Santa Montefiore
1. 2.
Santa Montefiore's parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, formerly High Sheriff of Hampshire, and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, of Anglo-Argentine background.
3.
Santa Montefiore said that growing up on the family farm gave her an "idyllic Swallows and Amazons childhood".
4.
Santa Montefiore was educated at the Hanford School from the age of eight to twelve.
5.
Santa Montefiore then attended Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, where, in the sixth form, she became Head of her house and later Vice Head of School.
6.
Santa Montefiore worked as a shop assistant in Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, the perfumery, and in events for Ralph Lauren.
7.
Santa Montefiore sent her first manuscript to several literary agents, using a pen name in order to distance herself from her sister.
8.
Santa Montefiore's books have been characterised as "beach-read blockbusters", selling over eight million copies in 25 translations.
9.
Santa Montefiore is married to the writer and historian Simon Sebag Santa Montefiore.
10.
Santa Montefiore is a friend of Tiggy Legge-Bourke and of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.