Famed author Dame Jilly Cooper, who was best known for her bestselling Rutshire Chronicles novels, sadly died aged 88 on Sunday 5 October. Jilly's two children, Felix and Emily, confirmed the news in a statement that read: "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 Cooper's cause of death
The writer, who was best known for her 'bonkbusters' including the sensationally popular Rivals, died unexpectedly on Sunday morning after a fall. Her two children, Felix and Emily, said in their statement that their mother's accident and passing had come as a “complete shock”.
Queen Camilla's message of support
In a message from Buckingham Palace, Queen Camilla said of Jilly's passing: "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." The message was signed 'Camilla R'.
Jilly's stellar career
After struggling to break into the British national press, she began her career as a junior reporter for The Middlesex Independent. Then, at a dinner party in 1968, she met Sunday Times Magazine editor Godfrey Smith. He invited her to write about the difficulties of being a young working wife, which became a hugely popular column about marriage, sex, and housework.
© GettyIn 1982 she moved her column to The Mail on Sunday, where she wrote a bi-monthly column until 1987. However, her big break came when she put pen to paper and wrote her first novel: Riders. This was followed by Rivals in 1988. Through the 1980s, she became firmly established as the queen of the "bonkbuster" genre with her Rutshire Chronicles series.
