Kashmira Bulsara is a younger sister of British singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, Freddie Mercury. Freddie, born Farrokh Bulsara, is one of the greatest singers and songwriters in the history of rock music. Moreover, his flamboyant persona and Four-octave vocal were enthralling, to say the least.
Born into the shadow of possibly the greatest artist in the world, Kashmira’s life was full of frequent ups and downs. Billions of fans around the world are always eager for the report regarding the family members of the late singer.
So, in this segment, we will talk in detail about the life of Kashmira Bulsara. We will talk about her early life, net worth, relationship with Freddie, marriage and so much more. Let’s zoom in.
Kashmira was born in Tanzania
Kashmira Bulsara was born in Stone Town in the British protectorate of Zanzibar (now a part of Tanzania) in 1952. she is 69 years old as of now. Her parents, Jer Bulsara (1922-2016) and Bomi (1908-2003) belong to the Parsee community from western India. In fact, they had their origins in the city of Bulsar (now Valsad) in Gujrat, India.
Her father Bomi worked as a cashier at British Colonial Office. Meanwhile, the details of her mother’s profession remain a mystery. Bomi Bulsara was based at offices in the nonresidential Beit-el Ajaib, the House of Wonders, built for ceremonial purposes by Sultan Sayyid Barghash in the late nineteenth century.
Kashmira with her brother Freddie Mercury when they were kids.The Bulsara family was well off. When the family still lived in Zanzibar, the children, Freddie and Kashmira were cared for day to day by a nanny, Sabine. They also had a decent number of domestic servants in the house.
As Kashmira was born in Zanzibar which was a British protectorate until 1963, she was born a British subject. Thus, she obtained British Citizenship after her family emigrated to England.
Her family had to flee Zanzibar due to the revolution
Kashmira and her family fled to England from Zanzibar in the spring of 1964 to flee the violence of revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar, Sultan Sayyid Barghash. In this revolution against Sultan’s Arab government, thousands of ethnic Indians and Arabs were killed.
The Bulsara family moved to 19 Hamilton Close, Feltham, Middlesex, a town 13 miles west of Central London. Later, they relocated to 122 Hamilton Road briefly, before buying a small house at 22 Gladstone Avenue, a suburban town in the west London Borough of Hounslow, in late October.
Kashmira follows Zoroastrianism religion
Born into the Parsee Household, Kashmira and her family followed Zoroastrianism. Kashmiri was born into a family of Parsees, a group of religious followers of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster. Her father Bomi was really strict about religion and its practices.
In fact, both Kashmiri and Freddie had to undergo the Naojote ceremony or Parsee cleansing ritual. The ceremony ensures indoctrination into the Zoroastrian faith.
What does Freddie Mercury’s sister Kashmira Bulsara do?
Kashmira works on various documentaries related to her late brother Freddie Mercury. She is known for her work in The One Show (2006), Freddie Mercury: Magic Remixed (2006), and Freddie Mercury, the Untold Story (2000).
Apart from that, she frequently appears on live interviews to talk about Freddie Mercury.
Kashmira is the only living family member of Freddie Mercury
Freddie died from pneumonia brought on by Aids in November 1991. He was 45 at the time. Kashmira and Freddie’s father Bomi died on 2003. Her mother, Jer Bulsara died on 2016.
Kashmira Bulsara and her marriage to Robert Cooke
Kashmira married Mr. Roger Cooke in 1972. The legendary Freddie Mercury was a witness during his sister’s marriage. After tying knots, The couple moved north to Nottingham to their Sherwood home. According to Kashmira, they had to move up north due to:
We moved to Nottingham simply due to my husband’s career.
Kashmira’s ex-husband Roger Cooke with her mother and son.They lived throughout the 70s and 80s in their Sherwood house, while Mercury was rising in the spotlight. Despite all the fame, Freddie always made time for his sister. He regularly visited her and his nephew and niece in her Sherwood home.
Kashmira’s son Sam.Kashmira’s husband, Roger Cooke is a singer-songwriter and record producer by profession. The pair are parents to two children, a son named Jamal Zook (Sam) and a daughter named Nathalie.
Despite the marriage and children, Kashmira and Cooke decided to split up.
Freddie Mercury was really close with his family
Talking about his brother in law Freddie Mercury, Roger Cooke 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. He wasn’t very hands-on but he was a very generous person. I have always said I don’t know of anyone who actually knew him who’d speak ill of him because he was a genuinely decent guy, very intelligent, sensitive and cultured. He would be temperamental, as artists can be, but he never he never showed it within the family. He was just a great guy.
And, the family returned all the love they could muster. They regularly attended concerts and events of Queen.
The net worth of Kashmira Bulsara
Freddie left a massive chunk of his fortune for his family. He left half of his net worth to his best friend Mary Austin. The fourth of it was left for his parents and the rest went to his sister, Kashmira Bulsara. After the death of her parents, the proceeds went to Mary Austin as dictated in will by late Freddie Mercury.
In addition to that, the success of the 2018 film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody and its more than $890 million box office revenue in the first five months took the world by storm. Kashmiri received $25 million from the film.
Moreover, Kashmira listed her London Penthouse for sale in April 2019, asking for £4.75 million (US$6.24 million). The three-bedroom flat is located on the terrace of stucco-faced townhouses along with London’s Hyde Park Gardens. The prime residence has views of Hyde Park and the Central London skyline.