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Peaches Geldof: the wild child who became a hippyish devoted mother Peaches Geldof: the wild child who became a hippyish devoted mother
(35 minutes later)
On Sunday at lunchtime, Peaches Geldof tweeted a photo of a plump-faced toddler in the arms of a softly smiling woman, both sporting matching blond bunches: "Me and my mum," she wrote simply beneath the picture of her and her mother, Paula Yates, who died when Geldof was only 11.On Sunday at lunchtime, Peaches Geldof tweeted a photo of a plump-faced toddler in the arms of a softly smiling woman, both sporting matching blond bunches: "Me and my mum," she wrote simply beneath the picture of her and her mother, Paula Yates, who died when Geldof was only 11.
Just over 24 hours later, it was reported that Geldof, by now the mother of two small children herself, had died suddenly at the age of 25, for reasons not yet known. The public shock was instant, the whisper of history echoing down the generations exacerbating the sense of tragedy. Her father, Bob Geldof, hinted at this in his heartbroken statement, referring to his family "fractured so often, but never broken". Just over 24 hours later, it was reported that Geldof, by now the mother of two small children herself, had died suddenly at the age of 25, for reasons not yet known. The public shock was instant, the whisper of history echoing down the generations exacerbating the sense of tragedy.
Throughout her short life, lived vividly in the public eye from birth, Geldof spoke frequently of her relationship with her mother, and often courted comparisons with her. During her teenage years, it was if she were determined to find her mother again by reliving her life: she spoke in interviews about "experimenting with drugs" and seemed to live a life trawling, hollow-eyed, from one party to the next, from one reality TV project to another, followed by a pack of paparazzi. Her father, Bob Geldof, hinted at this in his heartbroken statement, referring to his family "fractured so often, but never broken". Throughout her short life, lived vividly in the public eye from birth, Geldof spoke frequently of her relationship with her mother, and often courted comparisons with her. During her teenage years, it was if she was determined to find her mother again by reliving her life: she spoke in interviews about "experimenting with drugs" and seemed to live a life trawling, hollow-eyed, from one party to the next, from one reality TV project to another, followed by a pack of paparazzi.
It seems callous to say this, but if she had died suddenly then, it would have been tragic, certainly, but not nearly as shocking as her death is now. Back then, Geldof was written about in tabloids alongside Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty: another out-of-control young celebrity who the paparazzi tried to capture looking as wrecked as possible. With her memorable name and rock-star father, she looked well on course to become a cliched, messy child-of-celebrities, with the added shadow of her mother's premature death from a drug overdose. It seems callous to say this, but if she had died suddenly then, it would have been tragic, certainly, but not nearly as shocking as her death is now. Back then, Geldof was written about in tabloids alongside Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty: another out-of-control young celebrity who the paparazzi tried to capture looking as wrecked as possible.
With her memorable name and rock-star father, she looked well on course to become a cliched, messy child-of-celebrities, with the added shadow of her mother's premature death from a drug overdose.
But then things changed. After having her first son, Astala, in 2012, she told Elle magazine: "Even if it's an archaic idea, I want Astala to have a mummy and daddy together for ever." She added, emphasising the point: "The minute I held him [Astala], it was like this missing piece of my life being put into place; everything started to heal." Instead of emulating her mother, Geldof began to speak about her determination to do things differently.But then things changed. After having her first son, Astala, in 2012, she told Elle magazine: "Even if it's an archaic idea, I want Astala to have a mummy and daddy together for ever." She added, emphasising the point: "The minute I held him [Astala], it was like this missing piece of my life being put into place; everything started to heal." Instead of emulating her mother, Geldof began to speak about her determination to do things differently.
By the time she and her husband, Thomas Cohen of the rock band S.C.U.M., had had their second child, Phaedra, she was happily embracing a new identity: that of the hippyish devoted mother. No longer photographed slack-jawed at parties, she spoke about her devotion to "attachment parenting", a practice which, according to attachmentparenting.org, involves parents forming extremely close bonds with their children for life to create "a life cycle of compassion". It was a clear statement of intent about giving her children what her mother was not able to give her. By the time she and her husband, Thomas Cohen of the rock band S.C.U.M., had their second child, Phaedra, she was happily embracing a new identity: that of the hippyish devoted mother. No longer photographed slack-jawed at parties, she spoke about her devotion to "attachment parenting", a practice which, according to attachmentparenting.org, involves parents forming extremely close bonds with their children for life to create "a life cycle of compassion". It was a clear statement of intent about giving her children what her mother was not able to give her.
She was also developing into an amusingly mouthy young woman. She wrote a number of columns in newspapers, including a moving one in the Independent about her support of same-sex marriage. She also briefly became a national hero when she took on rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins in a daytime TV interview, showing a quick thinking and eloquence that few who had encountered her years ago would ever have expected. For the public, who had known her since birth, it looked as though her story was going to have the kind of happy ending that had once seemed so elusive for her. But some narratives prove harder to break.She was also developing into an amusingly mouthy young woman. She wrote a number of columns in newspapers, including a moving one in the Independent about her support of same-sex marriage. She also briefly became a national hero when she took on rent-a-gob Katie Hopkins in a daytime TV interview, showing a quick thinking and eloquence that few who had encountered her years ago would ever have expected. For the public, who had known her since birth, it looked as though her story was going to have the kind of happy ending that had once seemed so elusive for her. But some narratives prove harder to break.
For the public, the shock of Geldof's death comes from the loss of a young woman – still only 25 – who many of us had followed since her birth, who seemed so close to finding the stability that had eluded her mother. For her family, the tragedy is that they have lost another young woman – a young mother – all too suddenly, again.For the public, the shock of Geldof's death comes from the loss of a young woman – still only 25 – who many of us had followed since her birth, who seemed so close to finding the stability that had eluded her mother. For her family, the tragedy is that they have lost another young woman – a young mother – all too suddenly, again.