LONDON (BN24) — Dame Jilly Cooper, the beloved British novelist whose sharp wit and racy romances made her one of the country’s most enduring literary icons, has died suddenly at the age of 87.
Her death on Sunday followed a fall, her children Felix and Emily confirmed, calling it a “complete shock” and remembering her as the “shining light” of their lives.
Cooper, often dubbed the “Queen of the bonkbuster,” became a household name with her bestselling Rutshire Chronicles series, beginning with Riders in 1985. Her novels, known for their glamorous settings, scandalous affairs, and sparkling humour, sold over 12 million copies and reshaped the modern romance genre in Britain.
Queen Camilla led a wave of tributes from across the worlds of literature, media, and royalty, calling Cooper “a legend” and “a wonderfully witty and compassionate friend.”
“She created a whole new genre of literature and made it her own through a career that spanned over five decades,” the Queen said. “Very few writers become legends in their lifetime, but Jilly was one.”
Long linked to British high society, Cooper’s characters, especially the charismatic and roguish Rupert Campbell-Black, became iconic. Campbell-Black was long rumoured to be inspired by Andrew Parker Bowles, Camilla’s first husband and a longtime friend of Cooper’s.
Born in 1937, Jilly Cooper’s rise to fame was anything but immediate. After being dismissed from 22 PR jobs, she found her breakthrough at 48 with Riders, a racy, riotous look at England’s polo-playing elite. The novel launched a franchise that included Rivals, Polo, The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous, and Jump!, all known for their mix of biting social satire and unapologetic romantic drama.
Author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth called her “simply adorable,” describing her as “brilliant, beautiful, funny, sexy, the best company, the most generous and kind-hearted friend.”
Actress Victoria Smurfit, who starred in the 2008 TV adaptation of Rivals, remembered Cooper as a “divine queen,” while her literary agent Felicity Blunt praised her as “sharply observant and utter fun.”
Though known for writing about love and scandal, Cooper’s own life was one of resilience. She was married to military publisher Leo Cooper for more than 50 years until he died in 2013. The couple adopted two children and weathered personal trials, including Leo’s public infidelity in the 1990s and his later battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Despite the challenges, Cooper remained fiercely devoted to her husband and continued writing well into her 80s, partly, she once said, to help cover his medical care.
In August, just weeks before her death, she hosted a lively party at her Gloucestershire home for cast members of a new TV adaptation of Rivals, joined by old friends including the ever-colorful Parker Bowles.
Her family’s statement on Monday echoed the affection felt for her across Britain:
“Mum was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for her family and friends knew no bounds. Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock. We are so proud of everything she achieved and can’t imagine life without her laughter and warmth.”
Cooper received her damehood in 2017 for services to literature and charity.
In her tribute, Queen Camilla offered a final, whimsical farewell: “May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.”
Dame Jilly Cooper leaves behind a literary legacy filled with passion, satire, and a deep affection for life’s messy complexities, stories that brought joy to generations of readers, and a genre she made all her own.
