The Queen has paid tribute to the celebrated author Dame Jilly Cooper, who died aged 88, recalling her hope that her “hereafter would be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.”

The “legendary” writer passed away unexpectedly on a Sunday morning after a fall, a loss described by her children, Felix and Emily, as “a complete shock.” Dame Jilly had been a longtime friend of Queen Camilla, and her fictional seducer and show‑jumping lothario Rupert Campbell‑Black was reportedly partly modelled on Camilla’s former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. 

The two women were last seen together just weeks before her sudden death. In a message released via Buckingham Palace, Camilla said:

“I was so saddened to learn of Dame Jilly’s death last night. 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 – and it was a particular pleasure to see her just a few weeks ago at my Queen’s Reading Room Festival, where she was, as ever, a star of the show. I join my husband the King in sending our thoughts and sympathies to all her family. And may her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.” 

Dame Jilly Cooper was best known for her pungent, witty novels that explore scandal and infidelity among Britain’s upper classes. Her notable works include Riders, Rivals, Polo, Mount!, The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, and her final novel, Tackle!. 

In a joint statement, her children commented:

“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.” 

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A Literary Life & Lasting Legacy

Jilly Cooper died on 5 October 2025 at the age of 88, following a fall at her home in Bisley, Gloucestershire.  She first made her mark as a journalist before turning to fiction, publishing How to Stay Married in 1969. Over time, she became best known for the Rutshire Chronicles, a series of so-called “bonkbuster” novels that combined romance, social satire, and drama in the world of horses, country life, and elite society. 

Her books sold more than 11 million copies in the UK alone, and Rivals was adapted into a Disney+ series that brought her to new audiences.  Her publisher and agent lauded her as a literary trailblazer whose work combined sharp social observation with humor and emotional insight. 

Her damehood was conferred in May 2024, when King Charles honored her for her services to literature and charity. She described the accolade as “orgasmic.” 

Tributes poured in from across the UK and beyond. The Prime Minister’s office noted Cooper was “a literary force whose wit, warmth and wisdom shaped British culture for over half a century.”  Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a well-known fan, also paid tribute.  Television presenter Angela Rippon, a longtime acquaintance, said that Cooper “really did change the way that we read books as women. Men loved them as well.”  Fellow authors emphasized her influence: Jenny Colgan remembered how the “Jilly generation” learned from her, and Olivia Laing observed how Cooper merged social commentary with emotional nuance in vivid character portrayals. 

Her agent, Felicity Blunt, called her emotionally intelligent, generous, and sharply observant, adding that one wouldn’t expect “bonkbusters” to endure so firmly—but Jilly’s writing did.