Gutierrez wrote that Geldof "never worried about being polite. She had a childlike curiosity that walked a thin line between insult and charm. I lived with her for years but I don’t think she ever knew where I was going when I left for work in the mornings.

"She was completely unconcerned by surface things, things other people used to define themselves. She had a special power that allowed her to get right to the core of a person, to find their deepest secrets, their shadow selves, their most tender and very best parts. And she’d discard the rest, the boring bits, the job titles and such."

She added that the thing she missed most about her best friend, "above her quick wit and spark, above her ability to mesmerise, is her heart. I miss the heart that she often tried to keep hidden, anyone who caught a glimpse of it knew it was gigantic. She loved so much. Sometimes silently. Her tenderness was found in strange places, silly dances and cartoon drawings, and now a kiss on the lips in the privacy of a dream.

"How lucky am I that this friend of mine, that I hold in such high esteem, returned my love. That thought alone will always make me smile."

Read the full essay here.

Pictures: Getty, Rex Features

Peaches Geldof's best friend pens heart-rending essay on sisterhood and life after grief