Cressida Bonas has discussed the tragic loss of her older sister and 'leader of our pack', Pandora Cooper-Key, who died this year aged 51 from cancer.Pandora, the formerly west London-based daughter of Lady Mary-Gaye Curzon and Esmond Cooper Key, battled cancer from the age of 26. In March, her family told Femail that they had already planned her funeral 'thousands of times' after she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Despite Pandora's first diagnosis coming in her mid-twenties, Cressida, 35, has revealed how her half-sister never let her illness come in the way of her optimistic outlook, and despite the pair having a 15-year age gap, they had a friendship as solid as gold.
Talking in The Times, Cressida wrote: sensa 69 'When we were adults...we became two loving friends. I could share my thoughts and she'd listen. We would often ask each other for advice, and she would always be honest, often brutally so.'
She wrote how Pandora was a guiding light in her life, explaining how her older sister's carefree attitude and ability to find light in all situations never failed to amaze her, including when she stopped to admire flowers despite running late.
However, it is in motherhood that Cressida - who gave birth to her first child in 2022, welcoming baby Wilbur James Wentworth-Stanley with her estate agent husband, Harry Wentworth-Stanley - misses her sister's advice.
'Now that she has gone, I wish I could talk to her about raising sons as I'm also now the mother of a baby boy,' Cressida wrote. Pandora's sons, Bow, 17, and Nestor, 14, are teenagers, so Pandora 'had already walked the path that I'm beginning,' Cressida wrote.
However, writing in the emotional piece, Cressida explained how Pandora's courage will never fade, meaning that parts of her sister will last in the 35-year-old forever.
Cressida Bonas (pictured right) has opened up about the death of her half-sister Pandora Cooper Key (pictured left)
Aged 26, Pandora was diagnosed with Paget's disease, a rare cancer of the milk duct. She lived with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic disorder heightening the risk of cancer.
Almost a decade later, Pandora left her role as a handbag designer at Vivienne Westwood to have her first child. Only five weeks after giving birth, Pandora, then-aged 34, was told the devastating news that she had sarcoma in her left eye and sinus area.
Sarcomas are malignant tumours; they are so rare that a GP can expect to see only one or two in an entire career. In the UK, approximately 4630 soft tissue sarcomas and 670 bone sarcomas are diagnosed annually.
At one point, Pandora was told that, after an operation to remove her tear duct, her condition had worsened, and she had 10 months left to live.
However, it was later discovered that her scans had been misinterpreted, and she was in the clear for the time being.
In addition to suffering sarcoma of the sinus and recurring episodes of cancer, Pandora also grappled with life-threatening infections and seizures.
Until the end of her life, she would still travel to the markets in search of glass for her business, saying it brought relief from her health battle.
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.
Cressida, who gave birth to her son in 2022, has revealed how she wishes she could seek guidance from her late sister about motherhood (seen together in July, 2016)
Despite Cressida and Pandora having a 15-year age gap, it never came in the way of their friendship
This resulted in rounds of immunotherapy in the hopes she would recover after first being diagnosed with cancer at age 26 in 2000.
Speaking exclusively to Femail earlier this year she said: '[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."'
After Pandora's passing, Cressida shared a heartbreaking tribute post to her older sister, saying 'you were right here beside me all along'.
In August, the actress and model wrote on Instagram: 'I'll look for you in my dreams where you'll say "Hi Smally", and tell me where you've been.
'Then one day I'll remember you said in one of your final days, "I don't know what all the fuss is about, I ain't going nowhere..."
'And I'll realise, I never had to look for you at all. You were right beside me all along, because my darling sister my heart is forever tied to yours.'
Following the announcement of her death, Sarcoma UK, a charity she supported, said on a fundraising page: 'She was a beautiful spirit and an inspiration to so many.'
Pandora suffered from Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of developing cancer
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. 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.'
Concluding The Times article, Cressida wrote: 'Now I think about how she found joy in the smallest things, how she embraced life no matter what it threw at her. And in these moments, I realise that parts of her are still with me.
