Culture and History- Kimberley Banjoko

Cultural History

Genealogy, Heritage, and Origin

Lady Kimberley Banjoko

Lady Kimberley Elodie Banjoko (born July 14, 1991) is a French – American model and actress. Born in Manhattan, New York , she is a supermodel, actress, and television personality who has achieved many successes in her career and is currently studying at Syracuse University. 

She is also recognized for being descendant of three European kings and two dynasties. 

Early life 

Kimberley Elodie Banjoko was born on July 14, 1991, in New York City, daughter of Adekunle Banjoko and Yvette Laurent. Banjoko, a fire inspector and Laurent, a former UN secretary, moved to the US in the 80s where they met and got married having two daughters, Kimberley and her younger sister Rose-Ericka. 

Kimberley since a young age began to be interested in modeling and acting, being a highlighted girl for her intelligence and ambition, venturing in many different areas. When she was 14, was scouted by a photographer in New York, then studied ballet at a performing arts conservatory in Harlem from 2006 to 2008.

She also was talented in music, training as a violinist and studying at a music school from 2005 to 2007. She then received vocal coaching from opera singer Diana Nikkolos from 2009 to 2010 and trained in Music Theater at a conservatory in SoHo, New York. 

Rise to fame and career 

While her popularity grew, she had her first broadcast experience in 2009, when a program at the New York University and Long Island University gave her the opportunity. She got the attention of several agencies in the northeastern part of the country and signed with some of them from 2010 to 2015, currently being represented by Elevate Talent Agency in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 2011 she worked as a radio station host.

In this period of time she was a reporter of Orange TV and Albany TV, both college television stations and wrote for the Daily Orange and Albany Student Press, college newspapers. In 2017 she starred in Coquette, a short film where she held the lead the role of Marie Knox.

She graduated from ST. Gabriel’s school and the Baccalaureate School for Global Education, currently studying at Syracuse University and will graduate in 2021.

Heritage

As a mixed race lady, the ancestry of Kimberly is wide and rich; in fact, she is descendant of three European honorable kings, related to two dynasties and also African and Caribbean tribes. Due to her multiethnic heritage, she is not African-American or descendent of slaves. The royal kings are:

Royal blood of Britain:

Edward IV (1442 – 1483): He was the king of England from 1461 to 1470. And after the war of the Roses from 1471 until his death in 1483.

Henry VII (1457 – 1509): King of England and Lord of Ireland crowned in 1485.

James (1451 – 1488): King of Scotland from 1460 to 1488.

The dynasties related to her are the house of Plantagenet (the family who held the English Throne from 1154 to 1485) and the linage of the Mortimer-Percy, one of the most powerful families in the Middle Ages. 

Caribbean heritage

Her Caribbean heritage comes from the Arawak, an indigenous group of South America and the Caribbean that used to be settled in the Antilles.

African heritage

It comes from the Yoruba people. The Yoruba are an ethnic group from the southwestern of Nigeria, parts of Benin and Togo.

Personal life 

Kimberley is a Christian and her hobbies and interests include Pop and EDM music, is interested in fashion and luxury beauty products and treatments, cars, planes and yachts; is a fitness and healthy person who loves animals, nature and beaches. In her free time she develops blogs and websites. She is currently is dating a public figure.  

Education 

ST. Gabriel’s School – Grade School diploma

Baccalaureate School for Global Education – Advanced Regents diploma, IB diploma

Syracuse University – B.A Economics, Finance and Management (2021)