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A close-up photo of Cressida Bonas© Mark R. Milan,Shutterstock

Cressida Bonas's family heartache as sister Pandora's cancer battle revealed

The mother-of-one was in a relationship with Prince Harry for six years

March 30, 2024
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Pandora Cooper-Key, the 51-year-old sister of Cressida Bonas has revealed she is battling an "inoperable brain tumour" amid a 24-year cancer struggle. 

According to Femail, Pandora - who is the mother to two teenage sons - has been fighting different forms of cancer for more than 20 years. At the end of last year, Pandora was told she had a tumour on the left side of her skull that doctors could not operate on and she is undergoing rounds of immunotherapy in hopes of overcoming the illness.

A photo of Cressida Bonas hugging her sister Pandora© Nick Harvey/Shutterstock
Cressida and Pandora have a close bond

Pandora told the publication: "[To operate] they'd have to go through blood vessels and that's not great. So they categorically said in the first meeting, 'I'm really sorry, but we can't.'

"They said that chemotherapy won't help me, but immunotherapy might really work. So I've done two doses. There are a few side effects, but it's hard for me to really know what they are because I've got so many other things going on. I'm in intense pain if I don't take a lot of very strong painkillers."

A photo of Cressida Bonas and her sister Pandora© Nick Harvey/Shutterstock
Pandora said her family have been so supportive

Over the last 20 years, Pandora has suffered from sarcoma, Paget's disease, as well as tumours in her nose and cheek.

Talking about how her family has rallied around her, she revealed: "My family has been very supportive. We're like rocks to each other. I'd feel lost without [them]. 

Lady Mary Gaye with her ex-Husband Christopher Shaw and a 10-year-old Cressida Bonas and elder sister Georgiana, 20
© Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
Lady Mary Gaye with her ex-Husband Christopher Shaw and a 10-year-old Cressida Bonas and elder sister Georgiana, 20

"My mum is amazing. She's a proper queen bee to all of us and my relationship with my sisters and my brother is just... we'd do anything for each other. We tease each other a lot, but we really love each other. I can't imagine not having such a lovely family, I don't know how people cope."

Cressida's mother is former It girl Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon. Cressida's father, Esmund Cooper-Key sadly passed away when he was 42 from cancer. 

Lady Mary went on to marry Jeffrey Bonas, with whom she welcomed Cressida Bonas, 35. Cressida has a total of seven siblings. Her mother has been married four times.

Cressida was in a relationship with Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014, having been introduced by his cousin Princess Eugenie. Cressida and Eugenie are still very close friends.

Cressida Bonas and Princess Eugenie© Getty
Cressida Bonas and Princess Eugenie are longtime friends

Cressida is an actress and is now married to Harry Wentworth-Stanley. The couple share one son, Wilbur, whom they welcomed in 2022.

Cressida and property developer Harry first met while studying at the University of Leeds but their relationship fizzled out when Harry went off to Argentina for a gap year after graduating.

The now-married couple rekindled their love in 2017, and Harry popped the question in 2019. 

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