THE FUSE

Queen Camilla has arrived at London's Southwark Cathedral to attend a memorial service for her friend, the late novelist Dame Jilly Cooper.

Dame Jilly, known for her best-selling romps including Rivals and Riders, died unexpectedly aged 88 in October 2025 after sustaining injuries from a fall.

The Queen previously led tributes to her "wonderfully witty and compassionate friend", describing Dame Jilly as a "legend" who created "a whole new genre of literature".

Rivals stars David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Bella Maclean are among the celebrity guests pictured arriving at the thanksgiving service on Friday morning.

The Queen was welcomed by the Very Rev Mark Oakley outside the cathedral and stopped to look at a picture of Dame Jilly, who loved animals, with a dog displayed on an easel by the door.

In October, shortly after Dame Jilly's death, Camilla said she was "so saddened" by the news, adding: "May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs."

Dame Jilly's most successful works were The Rutshire Chronicles, beginning with Riders in 1985, which portrayed the scandals, sex lives and social circles of the wealthy horse-loving country set.

Follow-up Rivals was published in 1988 and reached a new generation of fans in 2024 when it was adapted into a hit Disney+ TV series.

Dame Jilly sold more than 11 million books in the UK alone.

Dame Jilly's agent Felicity Blunt arrived alongside her husband, actor Stanley Tucci, who said the novelist had lived an "incredible life".

"She also changed the lives of so many people for the better with her books, my wife being one of them," he told media outside the cathedral.

"She was an extraordinary person, a brilliant writer, nice person and naughty."

Blunt, who previously described Dame Jilly as "emotionally intelligent, fantastically generous, sharply observant and utter fun", carried a tote bag with "I love Jilly Cooper" on it.

(From left to right) Actor Stanley Tucci and Dame Jilly's literary agent Felicity Blunt were pictured arriving

Long-time friend, TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh, said the service was a "way of saying thank you" to Dame Jilly, who he described as "hugely genuine".

"Such a loss of a great friend," he added.

Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth also paid tribute to the "fabulous" and "amazing" Dame Jilly, summing her up in one word: "fun, fun, fun, fun".

"Champagne is being popped in heaven today and I'm honoured and delighted to be here amongst so many celebrating an amazing writer," he added.

Other guests at the service include actress Dame Joanna Lumley, Queen Camilla's son and her ex-husband, food writer Tom Parker Bowles and his father Andrew Parker Bowles, broadcaster Clare Balding and presenter Richard Madeley.

(From left to right) Actress Dame Joanna Lumley, food writer Tom Parker Bowles and broadcaster Clare Balding outside the central London cathedral

Dame Jilly was made a CBE for services to literature and charity in 2018, and made a dame in 2024, later describing receiving the honour from the King as "orgasmic".

She is survived by her two children, Felix and Emily, who previously described her "the shining light in all of our lives".

"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," they said in a statement in October.