Kashmira Bulsara is the younger sister of the British singer, songwriter, record producer, and lead singer of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara). The famous brother and sister were six years apart and each in their own way became successful children of immigrant parents.
Although there are other Bulsaras alive, Kashmira is the only living person who shared and survived Freddie’s childhood. And she continuously protects her brother’s legacy in every possible way.
To find out what Bulsara has contributed so far to her late iconic brother. In the details that follow, you can also read all about her own struggles, family, and professional as well as personal life.
Kashmira Bulsara Was Born In Modern Day TanzaniaÂ
Kashmira (meaning Beauty from Kashmir; Grape Wine; From Kashmir) was born in 1952 in the British protectorate of Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania), in the town of Stone. Her parents, Bomi (1908-2003) and Jer Bulsara (1922-2016) were from the Parsi community in western India. The Bulsaras were originally from the town of Bulsara (now Valsad) in the state of Gujarat.
The Kashmiri family had moved to Zanzibar so that Bomi could continue working as a cashier in the British Colonial Office. As Parsis, the Bulsara family practiced Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions. It adheres to the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster.
Like her famous brother, Kshmira was born a British citizen, as Zanzibar was a British protectorate until 1963. She became a citizen of the United Kingdom and the colonies after her family emigrated to England.
ALSO READ: Who Is Manon McCrory Lewis? Untold Facts About Damian Lewis’ Daughter
Kashmira Bulsara’s Family Escaped War
In the spring of 1964, Kashmira’s family fled Zanzibar for England to escape the violence of the revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar, Saidi Bargash, and his mainly Arab government. The conflict claimed thousands of Arab and Indian lives.
After fleeing Zanzibar, they moved to 19 Hamilton Close, Feltham, Middlesex, a town 13 miles (21 km) west of central London. Kashmira’s parents then settled briefly with her siblings at 122 Hamilton Road. They then moved into a small house at 22 Gladstone Avenue at the end of October.
Kashmira Follows Zoroastrianism Faith
As already mentioned, Kashmira’s parents followed Zoroastrianism. Her father, Bomi, as a Parsee, was very much into the ideals, religion, and practices of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster.
In fact, both Kashmira and her brother Freddie had to undergo the Navjote ceremony, a Parsi purification ritual. This practice ensures indoctrination into the Zoroastrian faith.
What is more, Bulsara claims that her family’s extreme devotion to her required her and her brother to pray daily. She also says that it was because of its principles that her brother Freddie liked to work hard.
Kashmira Bulsara Often Shares The Stories Of Her Brother, Freddie
Mercury’s sister, 69-year-old Kashmira, has participated in various documentaries related to her late brother. Among her most notable films are The One Show (2006), Freddie Mercury: Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story (2000), and Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story (2000).
Meanwhile, she frequently appears on live TV to talk about Freddie Mercury. In September 2016, Kashmira participated in the unveiling of English Heritage’s Blue Plaque. This was another tribute to her late brother at the family’s former home at 22 Gladstone Avenue in Feltham.
Kashmira; The Last Surviving Child Of Her Parents
Bulsara’s brother Freddie died of pneumonia caused by complications from AIDS in November 1991. Kashmira and Freddie’s father, Bomi, died 12 years later in 2003. Their mother, Jer Bulsara, died in 2016. Kashmira then became/is the only surviving member of Freddie Mercury’s original family of four, respectively.
Kashmira Bulsara Married Roger Cooke
In 1972, Farrokh’s sister Kashmira married singer, songwriter, and record producer Roger Cooke. The Queen frontman attended his sister’s wedding. Coincidentally, this was also the year Queen signed its first production deal with Trident Productions.
After tying the knot, Bulsara and Cook moved north, to Nottingham, to their Sherwood home. Kashmira later revealed that they had to move north because of her then-husband’s career.
Kashmira and her husband then lived in their Sherwood home throughout the 1970s and 1980s, while her brother’s fame was steadily gaining ground. However, Freddie always found time for his sister. He often visited her and his nephews and nieces at their Sherwood home.
Bulsara and her ex-husband Cook are the parents of two children, a son, Jamal Zook (Sam), and a daughter, Natalie. After raising two children, Kashmira and Cook ended their marriage sometime in the late 2010s.
Kashmira’s Ex-Husband Speaks Greatly Of Her Late Brother, Freddie MercuryÂ
Bulsara’s ex-husband Roger Cook often speaks highly of his late brother-in-law. In an interview, Cook said:
He was a normal family member and I like to think he relished the normality of family life that briefly took him away from the sometimes artificial world he was surrounded by. He was a very affectionate uncle to the kids. When it was their birthday he’d do a great big personalized cake and he’d get them gigantic Easter eggs.
Roger added that the legendary singer was not very practical, but he was very generous. Bulsara’s ex-spouse also said that he did not know anyone in his circle who had ever spoken ill of him.
“Because he was a really decent human being, very intelligent, sensitive, and cultured. He used to be temperamental, as artists tend to be, but he never showed it in the family. Casimira’s ex-wife said of the deceased Perlsey Indian artist, “He was just a wonderful person. Her family regularly attended the Queen’s concerts, including a performance at Earl’s Court in 1977 as part of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.
However, despite their closeness, Freddie felt unable to spill the secret of his sexual orientation to his family, including his sister Kasmira.
ALSO READ: Meet Hugh Hefner First Wife Millie Williams? Where Is She Now? Untold Facts
Kashmira Bulsara Is A Millionaire; She Inherited A Portion Of Her Brother’s Fortune
The Bohemian Rhapsody singer left a significant part of his fortune to his family. He gave half of his net worth to his best friend and ex-girlfriend, Mary Austen. A quarter went to his parents and the rest to his sister Kashmira. On the death of his parents, the proceeds passed to Mary Austin, as she had wished in the late Mercury’s will.
In addition, the box office receipts of the 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, which amounted to $890 million, brought Freddie’s sister Kashmira a substantial sum. She received $25 million from the film’s box office receipts.
Moreover, a year after the success of the film, Kashmira put her London penthouse up for sale in April 2019, asking £4.75 million (US$6.24 million). The three-bedroom apartment is located on the terrace of the stucco-clad townhouse, along with London’s Hyde Park Gardens. The property also offers views of Hyde Park and the central London skyline.
Kashmira Bulsara Kept Her Brother’s Love For Jewellery Alive
Sister Kashmira created her collection as a special tribute to Freddie’s love of beautiful things. The late Rock and Roll Hall of Famer loved exquisite jeweled fashion accessories and sophisticated vanity cases from the jazz era of the 1920s and 1930s. With this in mind, A Kind of Magic is a book about Art Deco vanity cases, which includes details of such items that belonged to Bulsara’s late brother.
Quick Facts About Kashmira Bulsara
| Full Name: | Kashmira Bulsara |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Horoscope: | N/A |
| Husband | Roger Cooke |
| Eye Color | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Birth Place | Zanzibar, Tanzania |
| Nationality | British |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Father | Bomi Bulsara |
| Mother | Jer Bulsara |
| Siblings | Freddie Mercury |
| Kids | Jamal Cook |