Queen Camilla heartbreak as friend Dame Jilly Cooper dies unexpectedly at 88
Dame Jilly Cooper once called Queen Camilla "very special"Queen Camilla has paid a touching tribute to Dame Jilly Cooper after her death at the age of 88 following a fall at her home.
The best-selling author was known for her series of romantic novels, including Rivals and Riders. The books portrayed the scandals and sex lives of wealthy country social circles. A TV adaptation of Rivals premiered on Disney+ last year.
Dame Jilly received her damehood from King Charles in 2024 at Windsor Castle.
Now, Queen Camilla has spoken out on the sad news.
Dame Jilly Cooper dies aged 88
Jilly’s children, Felix and Emily, confirmed her death in a statement. They said: “Mum was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds. Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock.
“We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”
Jilly died on Sunday morning after a fall.
Her agent Felicity Blunt also said in a statement: “The privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over 50 years ago.
‘She will live forever in the words she put on the page and on the screen’
“You wouldn’t expect books categorised as bonkbusters to have so emphatically stood the test of time but Jilly wrote with acuity and insight about all things – class, sex, marriage, rivalry, grief and fertility.
“Her plots were both intricate and gutsy, spiked with sharp observations and wicked humour.
“She regularly mined her own life for inspiration and there was something Austenesque about her dissections of society, its many prejudices and norms.”
Felicity added: “Emotionally intelligent, fantastically generous, sharply observant and utter fun, Jilly Cooper will be deeply missed by all at Curtis Brown and on the set of Rivals.
“I have lost a friend, an ally, a confidante and a mentor. But I know she will live forever in the words she put on the page and on the screen.”
Queen Camilla’s tribute
Queen Camilla said in a statement: “Very few writers get to be a legend in their own lifetime. But Jilly was one.
“In person, she was a wonderfully witty and compassionate friend to me and so many.”
She recalled their most recent encounter just weeks ago at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Jilly had been a featured guest at the event.
Camilla added: “It was a particular pleasure to see her… where she was, as ever, a star of the show.”
Queen Camilla ended her message with a poignant and humorous send-off to her late friend: “May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.”
‘We’ve known each other a long time’
Last month Jilly attended The Queen’s Reading Room literary festival, hosted by Camilla.
Speaking after the event, as reported by the MailOnline, Jilly said of Camilla: “We chatted about how much we love each other. I’ve been very lucky. We’ve known each other a long time. We live near each other.”
Camilla is reportedly a fan of Jilly’s books.
Back in 2004, when Jilly was presented with an OBE from King Charles (then the Prince of Wales), she praised Camilla.
She said: “I love her very much. She’s very special. I love her and I just want her to be happy.”
At the time, Charles and Camilla weren’t yet married or living together.
Meanwhile, last year, Jilly was made a dame thanks to her services to literature and charity.
At the time, she gushed over a “beautiful” card from Queen Camilla.
Speaking to HELLO!, Dame Jilly said: “Among my favourite messages was a beautiful card from Queen Camilla. I also received a lovely telephone call from her former husband Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, who has helped me with so many of my books. And darling Dame Joanna Lumley, who starred in a TV series I wrote many years ago.”
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