An unnamed 51-year-old woman, known as the half-sister of a notable actress and model, has passed away.
Before receiving a diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor, Pandora Cooper-Key battled cancer for 24 years. She was the daughter of Esmond Cooper-Key, a nobleman, and Lady Mary Gaye Curzon. With ten siblings, she was also the half-sister of Anna Bonas, an actress and model.
Pandora Cooper-Key was initially diagnosed with Paget’s Disease, a rare cancer affecting the milk duct, at the age of 26 while living in west London. Despite the challenges, she successfully overcame the illness and had her first child about ten years later. However, shortly after giving birth, doctors discovered a sarcoma in her left eye. Sarcomas are very rare and aggressive tumors, with only a few thousand cases diagnosed in the UK each year.
After surgery to remove her tear duct, Pandora was given a grim prognosis of only ten months to live. Yet, she defied the odds and fought the disease for several years. Throughout her battle, she endured eight surgeries to remove tumors and cosmetic procedures for facial reconstruction. The surgeries left her without muscles on one side of her face, requiring Botox to maintain symmetry. In an interview with The Times in 2021, she joked, “I’m the only girl in town who gets it free.”
As her condition progressed, Pandora experienced intense seizures that sometimes left her incapacitated for days. Eventually, doctors discovered another tumor behind her nose after successfully removing one from her cheek. Her health took a further downturn at the end of last year when she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She explained to Femail that surgery was impossible due to the tumor’s location near critical blood vessels, saying, “To operate, they’d have to go through blood vessels, which is not good.”
Connections to the Royal Family
Pandora Cooper-Key’s half-sister, Cressida Bonas, was introduced to Prince Harry by Princess Eugenie, Sarah Ferguson’s daughter, in May 2012. The couple dated until April 2014, facing some challenges after Harry’s infamous Las Vegas incident. Despite their breakup, Cressida attended Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in May 2018 alongside Chelsy Davy, another of Harry’s ex-girlfriends.
Legacy and Tributes
Pandora Cooper-Key was a talented ceramicist and former accessories designer for Vivienne Westwood. She once remarked that her family had planned her funeral “thousands of times.” In addition to her creative pursuits, she was an advocate for cancer awareness, particularly sarcoma.
Sarcoma UK’s Director of Communications, Kerry Reeves-Kneip, praised Pandora’s openness in sharing her story, which brought significant attention to sarcoma and the challenges patients face. “Sharing her story so openly helped bring important attention to sarcoma and the problems patients face,” Reeves-Kneip said.
Pandora’s obituary lovingly described her as the “beloved daughter of the late Edmond Cooper-Key and Lady Mary Gaye Curzon, adored mother of Bow and Nestor, much-loved sister of her two brothers and eight sisters, and devoted aunt to her nieces and nephews.” Her impact on many people’s lives extended beyond her efforts to raise awareness and funds; her kindness and strength remain a lasting legacy.
As a representative of Sarcoma UK, Kerry Reeves-Kneip offered condolences to Pandora’s family, which includes her mother, Lady Mary, her sister, Cressida Bonas, her two sons, and everyone who loved her. “Pandora made a huge difference for our organization and for other people with sarcoma. We will honor her by continuing our mission with renewed vigor at Sarcoma UK. Pandora’s kindness, courage, and indomitable spirit will forever remain in our hearts.”
