Jilly Cooper dies at 88; British author wrote several bestselling risque novels, including Rivals'

"Cooper garnered scores of fans with her Rutshire Chronicles, beginning with Riders in 1985, a humorous and racy series that portrayed the sex lives, scandals and excesses of the well-off, horse-riding upper and middle classes in 1980s England. The 11 books in the series sold millions of copies in the United Kingdom alone. One of the books, Rivals, was turned into a hit Disney+ TV series last year, starring David Tennant and Alex Hassell."

"Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Cooper a literary force whose wit, warmth and wisdom shaped British culture for over half a century and brought joy to millions, according to his office. Cooper was awarded an OBE, or Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to literature in 2004. She was given a damehood more recently and received the honor from King Charles at Windsor Castle."

Jilly Cooper died at age 88 after a fall, with literary agency Curtis Brown announcing the death and her children Felix and Emily saying their mother was the shining light in their lives and that her unexpected death was a complete shock. Cooper achieved widespread popularity with the Rutshire Chronicles, beginning with Riders in 1985, portraying the sex lives, scandals and excesses of wealthy, horse-riding upper and middle classes; the 11-book series sold millions in the United Kingdom. Rivals was adapted into a hit Disney+ series. Tributes came from Queen Camilla and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Cooper received an OBE in 2004 and later a damehood.

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