Celebrated novelist Dame Jilly Cooper has died aged 88 following a fall, her family has announced. The “Queen of the bonkbuster” author, famed for her raunchy romance novels featuring the bedroom antics of the upper classes, sold more than 12 million books during her illustrious career.
Her children Felix and Emily said her death on Sunday morning had come as a “complete shock”. The literary and entertainment world has been left reeling by the sudden loss of one of Britain’s most beloved and enduring authors.
Dame Jilly was best known for The Rutshire Chronicles, a series of novels featuring the showjumping lothario Rupert Campbell-Black. The depiction of the polo-playing classes and their amorous adventures proved a huge hit with millions of readers seeking escapist bed-time reading.
Family Pay Tribute to “Shining Light”
In a statement, Dame Jilly Cooper’s family expressed their devastation at her unexpected passing. “Mum was the shining light in all of our lives,” they said. “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.”
The family’s words captured the warmth and joy that characterised both Dame Jilly’s personality and her writing, which brought pleasure to countless readers across generations.
Literary Agent Praises “Sharply Observant” Author
Dame Jilly Cooper’s agent Felicity Blunt issued a similarly warm tribute, describing the author as “sharply observant and utter fun”. Ms Blunt reflected on the remarkable cultural impact of her client’s work over more than five decades.
“The privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over fifty years ago,” Ms Blunt said. “Jilly will undoubtedly be best remembered for her chart-topping series The Rutshire Chronicles and its havoc-making and handsome show-jumping hero Rupert Campbell-Black.”
She continued: “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.”
Tributes Pour In From Entertainment World
Fellow author Gyles Brandreth led the tributes, calling Dame Jilly “simply adorable. Brilliant, beautiful, funny (so funny), sexy (so sexy!), the best company, the most generous & thoughtful & kind-hearted friend.”
Victoria Smurfit, who starred in the recent television adaptation of Dame Jilly’s novel Rivals, described the author as a “divine queen”. The actress’s comments reflected the deep affection felt by those who had worked with Dame Jilly on bringing her stories to the screen.
The Rutshire Chronicles Legacy
Dame Jilly’s first novel in the Rutshire series, Riders, was published in 1985. The book achieved such cultural significance that it made the BBC list of 100 important English language novels in the love, sex and romance selection alongside Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
The second book in the series, Rivals, was recently adapted for television by Disney+. In a signal of how active she remained in her later years, Dame Jilly held a party for the cast at her home in Gloucestershire in August. Among the attendees was friend Andrew Parker-Bowles, the former husband of Queen Camilla. The “famously naughty” former Army officer is said to have been the inspiration for Rupert Campbell-Black.
Royal Connection and Recent Engagements
Dame Jilly and Queen Camilla met in March this year when the author attended the launch of the Queen’s Reading Room medal at Clarence House. Camilla told her: “I’m so proud of you. For all you’ve done.”
The meeting highlighted Dame Jilly’s enduring relevance and her contribution to British literature, recognised at the highest levels. Her ability to write compulsively readable stories about class, relationships and desire made her work both entertaining and culturally significant.
Personal Sacrifices and Devotion
The novelist lost her husband, Leo Cooper, to Parkinson’s disease in 2013. The author had known him since she was nine years old and refused to send him into a care home even when his condition worsened.
Dame Jilly confessed that she only continued to write novels in her later life to pay for her husband’s medical bills. This revelation added poignancy to her prolific output in later years, demonstrating that behind the glamorous world of her fiction lay real-life dedication and sacrifice.
Her commitment to caring for her husband whilst maintaining her writing career exemplified the determination and work ethic that characterised her life. Even in her eighties, she remained creative and engaged with her readers and the wider cultural world.
Cultural Impact and Enduring Appeal
Dame Jilly Cooper’s novels transcended their “bonkbuster” label to become cultural phenomena that defined an era of popular fiction. Her books combined humour, warmth, social observation and unabashed romantic fantasy in a way that resonated with readers across class boundaries.
The recent successful television adaptation of Rivals demonstrated that her stories continue to captivate new generations, proving that her insights into human nature, desire and social dynamics remain as relevant today as when she first put pen to paper.
Dame Jilly Cooper’s death marks the end of an extraordinary literary career that brought joy to millions. Her legacy lives on through the 12 million books she sold and the countless readers who found escape, laughter and perhaps a little naughtiness within her pages.
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Image Credit:
Jilly Cooper — photo by Allan Warren, licensed under CC BY 4.0
