Queen Camilla joined stars of the hit television series Rivals at a memorial service in London on Wednesday to celebrate the life of Dame Jilly Cooper, the beloved author who died unexpectedly in October at the age of 88 after a fall.
The service, held at Southwark Cathedral, was attended by cast members including David Tennant, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, and Katherine Parkinson. Dyer described the service as “wonderful,” while Tennant called it “beautiful.”
Outside the cathedral, Smurfit paid heartfelt tribute, saying Dame Jilly was “a ray of sunshine” and that she felt “unbelievably lucky” to have worked with her. She added, “We will keep her memory and stories alive for as long as we can.”
Also present were Dame Jilly’s literary agent Felicity Blunt, wearing a tote bag that read “I love Jilly Cooper,” and her husband, actor Stanley Tucci. Tucci said the author “lived an incredible life” and “changed the lives of so many people for the better.”
Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth recalled first meeting Dame Jilly nearly 60 years ago, and summed up her spirit with one word: “Fun, fun, fun.” He added, “Champagne is being popped in heaven today.”
