Dame Jilly Cooper's £8.5 Million Estate Divided Among Three Children
Beloved author Dame Jilly Cooper left a staggering £8.5 million fortune to her three children after soaring to fame for her steamy novels about upper-class dynasties. The best-selling author, known for rompy books such as Riders, Rivals, and Polo, died at the age of 88 last October. Probate records seen by The Sun reveal the author from Stroud, Gloucestershire, left a gross estate of £9,070,307. After liabilities were settled, the net value was £8,557,118. Beneficiaries include her two children, Felix and Emily, and her stepdaughter, Laura, who will each receive an equal share.
Queen Camilla Leads Tributes
Following her death, Queen Camilla led tributes to her long-term friend, saying: "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."
Literary Legacy and Television Adaptation
Cooper sold more than 11 million books in the UK alone, transforming the sex lives and social circles of the wealthy elite into blockbuster fiction. Her Rutshire Chronicles began with Riders in 1985, followed by Rivals in 1988. The saga reached a new generation last year when Disney+ developed it into a series starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer, and Aidan Turner. Actor Rufus Jones, who also stars in Rivals, revealed the cast were "almost exactly halfway through filming series 2" when news of her death broke. He said Dame Jilly had been at her famous summer garden party only months prior, adding: "What an extraordinary woman."
From Financial Crisis to Fortune
Cooper's fortune was a far cry from her early career, when she and husband Leo faced a financial crisis. She originally completed Riders under the title Bloods in 1969 but lost the manuscript on a London bus after a boozy lunch. She rewrote it after a bank manager warned the couple they might need to sell their manor house unless they raised cash quickly. In 1985, the book hit shelves and made her one of Britain's most successful authors. The Earl of Suffolk, Andrew Parker Bowles, and the Duke of Beaufort were among those said to have inspired her leading man Rupert Campbell-Black. The editor of Horse & Hound reportedly called Riders disgusting, while Cooper later joked her Spitting Image puppet simply said: "Sex sex sex sex sex sex."
Family and Personal Life
Cooper's three children said after her passing: "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." Cooper was married to publisher Leo Cooper from 1961 until his death in 2013. Their marriage weathered a difficult storm in 1990 when publisher Sarah Johnson revealed she and Leo had a years-long affair. The couple separated but eventually reconciled.
Career and Memorial
In 1969, Cooper published her first book, How To Stay Married, before becoming famous for novels packed with lust, laughter, and scandal. Her agent Felicity Blunt said Cooper wrote "to add to the sum of human happiness" and would be best remembered for The Rutshire Chronicles and "its havoc-making and handsome show-jumping hero Rupert Campbell-Black." The Queen Consort attended a memorial in January alongside stars from Rivals, including Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell, and Bella Maclean. Others included former footballer Tony Adams, comedian Helen Lederer, actress Lisa Maxwell, Dame Joanna Lumley, actor Rupert Everett, TV presenter Clare Balding, and friend Alan Titchmarsh. After the service, Dame Joanna said she felt "elated and full of champagne," adding: "It was very touching, sometimes very funny, just sometimes very moving and very beautiful."
Cause of Death
Cooper passed away after suffering a fatal head injury from a fall at her home, Gloucestershire Coroners' Court heard. She was initially alert and transferred by paramedics to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, but her condition deteriorated, and she died the following day surrounded by loved ones. Senior coroner Katy Skerrett reached a conclusion of accidental death.
