Prince Harry's Ex Left Devastated: Cressida Bonas Mourns Tragic Loss of Sister to Brain Tumor
Cressida Bonas, 35, and Prince Harry, 39, were an item from 2012 to 2014 in the wake of the Duke's seven-year failed partnership with Chelsy Davy. Bonas and the future bestselling author may have decided to part ways, but have reportedly remained cordial with one another over the past decade.
This is why the tragic death of the actress/model's 51-year-old sister, Pandora Cooper-Key, will likely come as a shock to Harry and all who knew her.
Cooper-Key was diagnosed with an "inoperable brain tumor" earlier this year, which followed a courageous 24-year-long battle with cancer.
Her death notice reads: "Beloved daughter of the late Edmond Cooper-Key, and Lady Mary Gaye Curzon, adored mother of Bow and Nestor, so much-loved sister of her two brothers and eight sisters and devoted aunt to her nieces and nephews."
Cooper-Key faced numerous health challenges throughout her life due to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that heightens the risk of developing various cancers. At 26, she was diagnosed with Paget's disease, a rare b----- cancer affecting the milk ducts, and underwent a double mastectomy.
Later in life, just five weeks after the birth of her son, who is now 34, Bonas' sister was diagnosed with sinus cancer sarcoma. Her former husband was told she had only ten weeks to live. Confronted with this grim prognosis, Cooper-Key initially considered traveling to the Dignitas assisted dying clinic, but ultimately chose to face her illness with resilience.
In a 2021 interview, when asked about her numerous misfortunes, the aristocrat's daughter quipped: "I wondered if it was because my parents were so rich. Maybe I got the money, but not the life."
Early this year, she got candid with an outlet about her multiple conditions: "I probably have been the closest to feeling depressed than I've ever been, and I'm not a depressive person. 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."
Cooper-Key is survived by her two children and her extended family.
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Harry and Bonas met through mutual friends, including Princess Eugenie, who introduced them. During their relationship, the model was often seen accompanying Harry to various public events and royal engagements. Despite the public attention, they managed to keep many aspects of their relationship private, unlike the Duke's previously troubled match-up with Davy.
The couple's breakup in 2014 was reportedly due to Bonas' discomfort with the intense public and media scrutiny that came with dating a royal. Both have spoken positively about each other post-breakup, indicating that they ended their relationship on good terms. Harry had nothing but nice and pleasant things to say about his early 2010s flame in 2023's Spare.
The Duke of Sussex met another actress, Meghan Markle, in 2016, and the pair married two years later. Bonas wed property developer Harry Wentworth-Stanley in 2020.
Daily Mirror reported on Bonas' death.