Cressida Bonas paid emotional tribute to her ‘darling sister’ Pandora Cooper-Key at a memorial service on Friday.
‘My heart is forever tied to yours,’ the actress, 35, said of Pandora, a ceramicist who died in July aged 51 following a 24-year cancer battle.
Cressie, a former girlfriend of Prince Harry, was joined at St Luke’s church in Chelsea, west London, by Pandora’s friends including Queen Camilla‘s son, Tom Parker Bowles, and her nephew Sir Ben Elliot.
Wearing a pastel-coloured trouser suit, Cressida read a moving ‘letter to Pandora’ that she composed after her death. The women’s mother, Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon, paid tribute, saying: ‘Nobody on Earth who ever met Pandora could help falling in love with her.’
Pandora’s mother, Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon, paid tribute, saying: ‘Nobody on Earth who ever met Pandora could help falling in love with her.’
The tragic mother-of-two teenage boys said her family had already planned her funeral ‘thousands of times’ just months before her death in an interview with MailOnline.
Cressida Bonas (right) arrives to Pandora’s memorial service in a pastel green trouser suit
Cressida (right) read a moving ‘letter to Pandora’ that she composed after her death
Pandora Cooper-Key (left) and Cressida Bonas (right) hug each other at Wimbledon in 2016
Their mother Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon (left) arrived to the service and paid tribute, saying: ‘Nobody on Earth who ever met Pandora could help falling in love with her’
Cressida Bonas is a former girlfriend of Prince Harry
Pandora’s father, Esmond Cooper-Key, died in 1985 aged 42.
Other family members at the service included Pandora’s half-sister Isabella Calthorpe, who was joined by her sister-in-law Holly Branson, daughter of Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson.
Also there was actress Gabriella Wilde, the Poldark star, whose father, John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, is an ex-husband of Pandora’s mother, Lady Mary-Gaye.
One of Pandora’s friends, Serena Cook, amused the congregation with tales from their travels through Latin America.
She said: ‘Pandora’s creativity [was] always present as she redecorated backpacker hostels entirely with her distinctive style.’
Serena added: ‘We stole watermelons from a field in Nicaragua, scrambling up a tree in absolute hysterics.
‘We got chased by a furious farmer.’
The daughter of former It girl Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and aristocrat Esmond Cooper-Key, Pandora was first diagnosed with Paget’s disease, a rare cancer of the milk duct, aged just 26.
Cressida arrives at St Luke’s church in Chelsea, west London for Pandora’s memorial service
Pandora Cooper-Key (seen, left, with half-sister Cressida Bonas) died age 51 after two decades suffering with different cancers
In 2000, aged 26, Pandora was diagnosed with Paget’s disease, a rare cancer of the milk duct and went on to also suffer from Sarcoma and other cancers
She was told that she had an inoperable brain tumour at the end of last year.
The artist endured repeated rounds of immunotherapy in the hope she would recover, but was told this was not an option after her latest news.
A notice in The Times, announcing her death, called her a ‘beloved daughter’, ‘adored mother’, ‘much-loved sister’ and ‘devoted aunt’. She passed away on July 22.
Sarcoma UK, a charity she supported, said on a fundraising page: ‘She was a beautiful spirit and an inspiration to so many.’
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, Director of Communications at Sarcoma UK, added: ‘Her openness about her journey helped raise crucial awareness about sarcoma and the challenges faced by patients.
‘Pandora’s legacy extends far beyond her fundraising efforts; she touched countless lives with her warmth and resilience.
‘On behalf of everyone at Sarcoma UK, I extend our deepest condolences to Pandora’s family, including her mother, Lady Mary, her sister, Cressida Bonas, her two sons, and all who loved her.
‘We are immensely grateful for the difference Pandora made to our organisation and to others affected by sarcoma.
Pandora (left) said her sister Georgiana (right) was left worrying about whether she was dead or alive after having a seizure. Above: The pair pictured with Cressida (middle)
Pandora (pictured far left) said her family has been so supportive throughout health struggles. Above L-R: Jacobi Anstruther, Georgiana Anstruther, Isabella Branson, Cressida Bonas
At the end of last year, Pandora was told that she had a tumour on the left side of her skull that doctors could not operate on
‘We at Sarcoma UK will honour her by continuing our mission with renewed determination. Pandora’s kindness, courage, and indomitable spirit will forever remain in our hearts.’
Pandora continued to work for Vivienne Westwood as a handbag designer for a decade after her diagnosis, before leaving to have her first child.
Only five weeks after giving birth, she was told the devastating news that she had sarcoma in her left eye and sinus area.
Sarcomas are malignant tumours which are so rare that a GP can expect to see only one or two in an entire career.
There are approximately 4630 soft tissue sarcomas and 670 bone sarcomas diagnosed each year in the UK.
She was given just ten months to live as doctors feared her condition had worsened, after she had an operation to remove the affected tear duct. It was later discovered that her scans had been misinterpreted, and she was in the clear.
But this was soon followed by the awful news that Pandora had another tumour in her cheek, which was successfully removed, and also one at the back of her nose.
In 2016, she went through a stage of having several seizures, which would sometimes lead to her becoming unconscious for a week.
But even as she battled the disease, just two years ago Pandora started a ceramics business, Curzon Blue, after she fell in love with glassware at Portobello Market.
The name has a heartfelt meaning behind it, along with a touching nod to her mother.
‘It’s called Curzon Blue because my mother’s maiden name is Curzon and her fourth husband made a cocktail called Curzon blue,’ she said at the time.
In 2016, she went through a stage of having several seizures, which would sometimes lead to her becoming unconscious for a week
Even as she battled the disease, just two years ago Pandora started a ceramics business, Curzon Blue, after she fell in love with glassware at Portobello Market
‘It’s really delicious and it will knock you off your perch in a heartbeat. It just felt like a really nice thing to do to incorporate my two amazing backgrounds.’
Throughout her battle with various tumours, and despite feeling weak, Pandora continued working on her business and shared her love of glassware both on her website and her Instagram.
Until the end of her life, she would still travel to the markets in search of glass for her business, saying it brought a sense of relief to her health battle.
However, Pandora revealed that this year had been her hardest when speaking five months ago.
‘In the last few months, I probably have been the closest to feeling depressed than I’ve ever been and I’m not a depressive person,’ she said, as she faced down her third dose of immunotherapy.
‘That’s been quite scary. There have been days where I’ve been like I can’t bear the pain. But then there’s something in me that bounces back.’
Pandora is survived by her two sons, who she had with TV producer Matthew Mervyn-Jones before they separated.
Even months before her death, Pandora remained positive as she praised her ‘amazing’ family.
She said in March: ‘I say new day, [I’m] very grateful, I have a lot, [let’s] get going [and] keep it up. I think staying positive and keeping on the road of positivity has been my saving grace.
‘My family has been very supportive. We’re like rocks to each other. I’d feel lost without [them].
‘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. It’s been really nice for me to have them all and honestly, they did not leave me alone.
‘When I came out of hospital, the doorbell was going all the time.’