Jilly Cooper, often hailed as the grande dame of English romance novels, whose captivating stories of British high society sold millions worldwide, has passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday. Her journey began as a sharp-witted newspaper columnist before she soared to literary fame with her iconic ‘Rutshire Chronicles’ series.
Her publisher, Curtis Brown, confirmed that Ms. Cooper died following a fall.
Through her much-loved series, Ms. Cooper brought the vibrant, fictional world of Rutshire and its glamorous inhabitants to life for generations of British readers. At the heart of it all was her unforgettable hero, Rupert Campbell-Black—a dashing polo player who later became a Conservative member of Parliament, widely regarded as the most irresistible man in England.
Spanning 11 books, the series kicked off with the 1985 novel ‘Riders.’ It chronicled the lives of Rupert, his circle of friends, and their adversaries, delving into their often wild antics, passionate affairs, and extravagant parties. In the sequel, ‘Rivals,’ readers met Taggie, Rupert’s second wife, a kind and gentle soul who bravely navigated severe dyslexia.
The final installment, ‘Tackle!,’ published in 2023, saw Rupert dive headfirst into the dramatic world of professional soccer.
Dubbed ‘bonkbusters’ for their famously racy scenes, Ms. Cooper’s Rutshire novels consistently topped bestseller lists across England. Her unique universe recently expanded to American audiences with the October 2024 release of the ‘Rivals’ TV series on Disney+ and Hulu, based on her books.
Before the ‘Rutshire Chronicles’ captured widespread attention, Ms. Cooper penned several other works in the late 1960s and 1970s. These included gentler romance novels and various nonfiction titles. Her debut, ‘How to Stay Married,’ appeared in 1969, just seven years into her own marriage.
When ‘How to Stay Married’ was reissued in 2011, Ms. Cooper added a new foreword, a task that required her to reread the book for the first time since its original publication. She candidly admitted to ‘nearly dying of horror’ during the process.
In the updated foreword, Ms. Cooper reflected with a wince: ‘How could I have insisted that ‘a woman should be grateful her husband wants her’ and suggested that if a wife refuses her husband sex then she has only herself to blame if he’s unfaithful. Ouch, ouch!’
Reflecting on her earlier views, Ms. Cooper offered a gentle self-defense: ‘Oh dear, oh dear. In mitigation, I suppose I was writing in a different age, when women’s lib had hardly been heard of.’
Despite shifting societal norms, many of her books continued to captivate readers decades after their initial release. She approached all her writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, with an infectious sense of curiosity and boundless enthusiasm.
As The Guardian noted in its review of ‘Tackle!,’ ‘There’s still something infectiously joyful and funny about her particular brand of very English writing.’
Ms. Cooper’s writing career truly took flight in 1969. After a chance encounter at a dinner party with English journalist Godfrey Smith, then editor of The Sunday Times Colour Magazine, she secured a position as a newspaper columnist.
She openly shared with Mr. Smith the daily struggles and exhaustion of running a household, famously admitting, in her own words, ‘how hopeless a wife I was.’ Charmed by her candor, Mr. Smith invited her to write a column for his magazine—a weekly feature that delighted readers for over 13 years.
Her blend of honesty and humor quickly made the column a resounding success. In a 2024 BBC documentary, she recounted, with characteristic modesty, ‘I don’t mean to be conceited, but I was the most read person on the paper.’
Following her 1969 book on marriage, Ms. Cooper continued to explore a range of nonfiction subjects, from class dynamics and relationships to the quirks of men, women, and animals. Her 1984 work, ‘The Common Years,’ offered a vivid account of her decade in London’s Putney neighborhood, a period she described as being ‘hung over almost every day’ from frequent dinner parties and social events.
In 1982, a move with her husband, Leo Cooper, to the picturesque Cotswolds brought a fresh cast of characters into her observational orbit. It was in their magnificent 14th-century country home, once a monastic dormitory, that she penned her beloved ‘Rutshire’ novels. Even in the 21st century, she remained loyal to her typewriter, drawing endless inspiration from the vibrant people and places around her.
“I am terribly nosy,” Ms. Cooper confessed in the BBC documentary, explaining, “I just want to know what people are up to — who they’re up to.”
Her infectious joy and characteristic humor permeated not just her writing, but also her everyday life and interactions with others. Her language was famously sprinkled with upbeat adjectives: men were ‘heavenly,’ dinners ‘jolly,’ and most things—and people—were ‘brilliant’ and ‘lovely.’
Beyond the wit and sparkle, her work also held a quiet depth, mirroring a life that was not without its sorrows. Early in her marriage, an ectopic pregnancy meant she couldn’t have biological children, a personal challenge she met by adopting her two beloved children, Felix Cooper and Emily Tarrant.
Born Jill Sallitt on February 21, 1937, in Hornchurch, a suburb of East London, England, she was the daughter of William Sallitt, a brigadier in the British Army, and Elaine (Whincup) Sallitt, who instilled in her a love of reading from the tender age of four.
She is survived by her two children and five grandchildren. Her husband, Leo Cooper, passed away from Parkinson’s disease in 2013.
In 2023, King Charles III bestowed upon Ms. Cooper the distinguished title of Damehood, an honor she described as ‘so extraordinary I can’t quite take it seriously.’ Her home proudly displayed photographs of the King and Queen Camilla, and she counted the Queen’s former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, among her personal friends.
Despite her delight and honor at the royal distinction, Ms. Cooper maintained her characteristic humility. “It seems like a strange thing to be, really,” she quipped in the BBC documentary. “I thought, ‘Gosh, this can’t be me — me, Bonkbuster Jill!’”