The Queen attended a memorial service celebrating the life of successful author Dame Jilly Cooper at Southwark Cathedral in central London. The service brought together stars from the TV show "Rivals" and prominent literary figures to honour the writer who died unexpectedly in October at age 88 following injuries from a fall.
Readers best knew the celebrated author for "The Rutshire Chronicles," a book series featuring the fictional character Rupert Campbell-Black, a seducer and showjumper reportedly partly based on the Queen's ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.
Stars gather to remember
The memorial service drew notable attendees including David Tennant, Victoria Smurfit, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, and Katherine Parkinson—all stars from the "Rivals" television series. Dame Jilly's literary agent Felicity Blunt attended alongside her husband, actor Stanley Tucci.
The Queen had previously paid tribute to Dame Jilly, describing her as a "wonderfully witty and compassionate friend" and a "writing legend". The personal connection between the Queen and the late author extended beyond their friendship, with Cooper's most famous fictional character drawing inspiration from Camilla's former husband.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
