Getty Cara Delevingne attends the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show as part of Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week on July 4, 2017 in Paris, France.
Cara Delevingne this weekend stars in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the newest film by Luc Besson. It’s the latest major Hollywood blockbuster role for the 24-year-old actress and model, who last summer starred in the critically panned but financially successful DC comics film Suicide Squad.
Delevingne is from Hammersmith, London, born into a wealthy and well-connected family consisting of socialites, publishing executives, models, and politicians.
Here’s what you need to know about the family of Cara Delevingne.
1. Her Mother is Pandora Delevingne, a Socialite & Former Personal Shopper
GettyPoppy Delevingne (L), Charles Delevingne (C) and Pandora Delevingne (R) attend the launch party for Cartier Tank Anglaise Watch Collection at The Orangery on April 19, 2012 in London, England.
Cara Delevingne’s mother is Pandora Delevingne, a socialite and former Selfridges personal shopper. Pandora was born into a prestigious family, as her mother was Janie Sheffield, the lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. According to The Daily Mail, Pandora was personal friends with Princess Margaret. Pandora’s father was Jocelyn Stevens, a newspaper publisher who ran Queen and later became the managing director of the Evening Standard and the Daily Express.
For decades, Pandora Delevingne struggled with a crippling heroin addiction, which Cara said in an interview with Vogue was a major part of her childhood.
“It shapes the childhood of every kid whose parent has an addiction,” Cara Delevingne told Vogue. “You grow up too quickly because you’re parenting your parents. My mother’s an amazingly strong person with a huge heart, and I adore her. But it’s not something you get better from, I don’t think. I know there are people who have stopped and are fine now, but not in my circumstance. She’s still struggling.”
Pandora Delevingne said in a 2016 interview that her heroin addiction started when she felt pressure to shine in high society and growing up in a prestigious family, according to The Daily Mail. She continues to struggle with bipolar disorder and depression to this day; she was not diagnosed as bipolar until she was 30.
Cara Delevingne has talked about the fact that she struggles with depression herself, particularly at the age of 15.
“This is something I haven’t been open about, but it’s a huge part of who I am,” she told Vogue. “All of a sudden I was hit with a massive wave of depression and anxiety and self-hatred, where the feelings were so painful that I would slam my head against a tree to try to knock myself out. I never cut, but I’d scratch myself to the point of bleeding. I just wanted to dematerialize and have someone sweep me away.”
She also told Vogue, “I definitely have that addict gene. For me it comes out in an addiction to work.”
2. Her Father Is Charles Delevingne, a Property Developer
Cara Delevingne’s father is Charles Delevingne, a property developer. He is the founder of Harvey White Properties Limited and director of The Ultimate Travel Company.
Charles’ was also born into a somewhat prestigious family. His grandfather was Hamar Greenwood, a politician who was the chief secretary for Ireland from 1920 to 1922. Charles’ father was also the ex-husband of Countess Felicia Gizycki, who herself was the daughter of journalist Cissy Patterson, who headed the Washington Times-Herald. Plus, his aunt, Doris Delevingne, was known in high society in London and reportedly seduced Winston Churchill, according to The Daily Mail.
According to Vogue, Charles Delevigne did not grow up rich, but “his looks and charm got him invited everywhere.”
When Cara Delevingne posted a photo of her father on Instagram earlier this year, a tweet went viral from an American student who looked just like him.
Who would’ve guessed I’m @Caradelevingne ‘s dad
Charles Delevigne was also involved in a viral piece of content when Cara was was interviewed by Graham Norton in March 2017; things got awkward when Norton asked Cara about a time that she had sex on an airplane, which she really didn’t want to talk about because her father was in the room.
‘My father is here by the way,” Cara said. “Sorry, Dad.”
3. Her Sister is Poppy Delevingne, a Model
GettyPoppy Delevingne poses for a photo at the launch of the first Australian MRP store at Melbourne Central on October 21, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.
Cara Delevingne’s sister is Poppy Delevingne, a famous model in her own right. She has modeled for a variety of brands including Shiatzy Chen, Laura Ashley, and Burberry, and she was the face of Louis Vuitton’s summer 2012 collection. Vogue wrote in 2014 that Poppy Delevingne is “considered one of the most beautiful and sought-after faces in the fashion world.”
Poppy Delevingne has also been following in her sister’s footsteps recently by getting involved in acting. She had a small role in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword this summer, though she dies almost immediately.
She’ll also be in Kingsman: The Golden Circle this September, playing a villainous character, Clara Von Gluckfberg. She is briefly seen removing her clothing in the trailer for the film. While speaking to the Evening Standard, Poppy seemed to give away the fact that she dies in the movie. When asks if she lives any longer in Kingsman than she did in King Arthur, she said, “Not much. I’ve got to stop dying!”
Poppy also said in that interview with the Evening Standard that she always knew Cara would be successful.
“She knew the words to every song, the routine to every dance,” Poppy said of her sister. “She was a little actress, we’d bring her out to do a performance after lunch and she was just the apple of all of our eyes.”
4. Her Other Sister is Chloe Delevingne, Who Advocates for Cervical Cancer Awareness
Cara Delevingne’s other sister is Chloe Delevingne. Chloe is not famous like her sisters; according to The Daily Mail, she likes to keep a low profile and describes herself as shy.
However, she has become more well known after her work for the Gynaecological Cancer Fund, an organization formed in 2013 in order to raise awareness of ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Chloe said that at the age of 20, she had part of her cervix removed after pre-cancerous cells were found.
She has since been able to have children, but she says she may not have been able to if these pre-cancerous cells were not caught.
‘Without that diagnosis, I wouldn’t have my babies,” Chloe told the Daily Mail. “I might not even be here talking to you right now. That’s why awareness is my big thing – because I am one of the lucky ones.”
When asked about her sisters, Chloe told The Daily Mail, “I am so proud of Poppy and Cara for what they have achieved and I think they would say the same about my choice to become a mother. There’s a mutual respect.”
5. Her Godparents Are Nicholas Coleridge & Joan Collins
Though they aren’t related by blood, two other people who are quite close to Cara Delevingne are her godparents, Nicholas Coleridge and Joan Collins; they are actually two of Cara Delevingne’s 16 godparents.
Nicholas Coleridge is the chairman of Condé Nast Britain, and he has worked at the publishing company for almost 30 years. He announced earlier this year that he will step down from his current Condé Nast roles in August 2017, according to Vogue.
Joan Collins is a famous English actress who starred in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty. She has also performed in movies like The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing and Rally Round the Flag, Boys!, as well as on stage in plays like The Last of Mrs. Cheyney. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983 and was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.
During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2015, Joan Collins said that she was at one time concerned about Cara Delevingne, particularly when a photo came out of Cara with a plastic bag of white powder.
“…There was a period of time when we were a little bit concerned about Cara,” Collins said. “The white powder that dropped, that made me a little worried. I talked to her about it, and she said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about that.’ But she’s a lovely girl, and I’m very fond of her.”