Kyprianou was born Erasmia Papatheoklitou (Ερασμία Παπαθεοκλήτου) in the city of Veria in Imathia, Greece.[3] She moved to London to study English literature. During her time as a student in London, Papatheoklitou met her future husband, Spyros Kyprianou, who was a law student.[2] Papatheoklitou and Kyprianou began collaborating on charitable activities for the National Union of Cypriot Students in England (E.F.E.K.A.), including plays and theater productions to raise money for a school attended by Greek Cypriot children in London.[4] The couple married in Athens in 1956 and had two sons, Achilleas and Markos.[4][5]