Cressida Bonas, who dated Prince Harry for two years, has opened up about her grief following the death of her half-sister, Pandora Cooper Key, who passed away in July
Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas has opened up with a tear-jerking tribute to her late half-sister, Pandora Cooper Key.
The actress, who famously dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014, introduced by their mutual friend Princess Eugenie, is grieving the loss of Pandora who died in July after battling Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This rare genetic disorder greatly heightens the risk of developing several cancer types. As a new mum to a baby boy, Cressida has felt the absence of her sister acutely.
In her own words for the Sunday Times Style, Cressida, 35, shared her heartache: “In her final weeks, I felt like I was racing against time, wanting to ask her so much. 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.”
Her sister’s legacy continues through her two sons, Bow, 17, and Nestor, 14. Reflecting on the wisdom she gained from Pandora, who was just 51 when she died, she said: “Her boys are teenagers and I’m just starting out with an almost two year old, so she had already walked the path that I’m beginning.”
She continued, remembering a poignant moment in particular: “I have a journal filled with scribbles and notes from conversations with my sisters. On one page, I had written down something Pandora said just after I’d given birth to a boy: ‘No matter what, they’ll always love and want to protect their mums.'” Cressida, married to Harry Wentworth-Stanley since 2020, stepped into motherhood with the birth of their son Wilbur in 2022.
Cressida took to Instagram to share a touching piece she wrote about her late sister Pandora, revealing: “A piece I wrote about my sister Pandora is in @theststyle today.”
She went on to express her deep sense of loss: “Life will never be the same without her, and sometimes it feels like she’s just gone on holiday, until I realise she’s not coming back.”
Cressida fondly recalled her sister’s impact: “My sister gave so much love, she listened, she made people laugh and she was hugely loved In return. I hold onto the memories and the many things she taught me. I miss her. She was simply the best.”
She ended her poignant post with a star emoji beside Pandora’s Instagram username.
