Queen Camilla's 'sad comment' about late friend Jilly Cooper as she visits Rivals set
Dame Jilly Cooper sadly died in OctoberQueen Camilla reportedly made a sad remark about her late friend, Dame Jilly Cooper, as she visited the set of Rivals this week.
The bestselling author, known for her romantic novels, died in October, aged 88, after a fall at her home.
Queen Camilla visits Rivals set
Queen Camilla was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning series Rivals, during a visit to the set.
The second season of the Disney+ TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novels is currently being filmed at The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 Studios in Bristol.
It was a rare mother and daughter outing for the queen, who was also accompanied on the engagement by her daughter, Laura Lopes.
The pair met backstage with costume designers as well as starring actors David Tennant and Alex Hassell to hear about the new series, set to air in 2026.
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Queen Camilla reportedly revealed to the cast members that she had “binge-watched” the show’s first series while struck down with pneumonia this time last year. And, even better, she apparently “felt much better afterwards”!
The show of course holds additional significance for the queen, who was a close personal friend of Jilly’s for many years.
It’s so sad that she’s not here. She should be.
As such, it appears it was a bittersweet visit for Queen Camilla.
“It’s so sad that she’s not here,” she reportedly told stars on the film set, adding sadly: “She should be. I am so excited to be here. She would have loved it.”
Queen Camilla’s tribute to Jilly Cooper
Queen Camilla shared a moving tribute to Jilly upon learning the sad news of her death back in October.
“I was so saddened to learn of Dame Jilly’s death last night,” she said. “Very few writers get to be a legend in their own lifetime. But Jilly was one, creating a whole new genre of literature and making it her own through a career that spanned over five decades. In person, she was a wonderfully witty and compassionate friend to me and so many.”
She went on to recall their most recent encounter just weeks before Jilly’s death at The Queen’s Reading Room Festival at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Jilly had been a featured guest at the event.
“It was a particular pleasure to see her… where she was, as ever, a star of the show.” Camilla said of the occasion.
She then 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.”
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