As Dame Jilly Cooper dies, was she married, her net worth, who are her kids, did she kiss a James Bond star?
Dame Jilly Cooper, who has died at the age of 88, was best known for her best-selling books such as Rivals and Riders.
Those who were unfamiliar with the novelist Dame Jilly Cooper who has died at 88, may have only recently known more about her thanks to her novel Rivals being turned into a hit Disney+ TV series, which starred the likes of Emily Atack, Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean.
The news of Dame Jilly Cooper’s death was shared by her publisher in a statement, it read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dame Jill Cooper, DBE who died on Sunday morning after a fall, at the age of 88.”
Dame Jilly Cooper’s children Felix and Emily have shared a statement following their mother’s death. The statement read: “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."
One unlikely fan of Dame Jilly Cooper’s was former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he revealed on ITV’s This Morning that he was a fan of the novelist and said: “You need to have escapism in your life.” He also said: “You need to be able to get away from the day to day... That’s a good thing.”
In response to Rishi Sunak being a fan of her novels, Dame Jilly Cooper told The Independent that “I’m absolutely thrilled to bits. It is always a joy as an author when someone says they like your books. I’m so honoured that lovely Rishi Sunak has had time to read them.”
Was Dame Jilly Cooper married?
Dame Jilly Cooper was married to publisher Leo Cooper, he died at their Gloucestershire home in December 2013 at the age of 79, he had been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for over a decade. In 2012, Jilly Cooper was stunned into silence on the radio on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
The Standard reported that “After a few queries, presenter Dame Jenni Murray said: "Just one other thing, Jilly. You suggested in the book an affair might blow over if you turn a blind eye. How useful did you find your own advice when Leo strayed in the Nineties?"
“An embarrassing nine seconds of silence followed, which ended only when Dame Jenni tentatively asked: "Hello?" Mrs Cooper replied, "Hello", before saying: "I don't want to talk about it."
Leo Cooper had an affair with publisher’s secretary Sarah Johnson and Dame Jilly Cooper said in a BBC documentary ‘In My Own Words' that “My husband was a lovely man, but he fell in love with someone else. And that's what happened." Dame Jilly Cooper and Leo Cooper went on to reconcile.
Did Dame Jilly Cooper have children?
Dame Jilly Cooper has two adopted children Felix and Emily, and five grandchildren: Jago, Lysander, Acer, Scarlett, and Sienna. Scarlett and Sienna are daughters to Felix, while daughter Emily has sons Acer, Lysander and Jago.
In an interview with Community Care, Dame Jilly Cooper said: “I wanted to write about children in care because I have two adopted children who I love passionately. I adopted because I couldn’t have children of my own. They were a wonderful gift. I can’t bear the thought of children not being loved.”
What was Dame Jilly Cooper’s net worth?
It is not known what Dame Jilly Cooper’s net worth was, however in 2006, she told the Daily Mail that “We bought our lovely house in Gloucestershire 23 years ago for £145,000.”
Did Dame Jilly Cooper kiss a James Bond star?
Dame Jilly Cooper told The Mail on Sunday that “Sean Connery was gorgeous. I necked him.” She also said: “We lived in Fulham and Sean and his lovely wife Diane were in Putney, and they came for dinner. I was in the kitchen, pretending to cook, and he came in and took me in his arms and kissed me.”
Dame Jilly Cooper was asked if she was married at the time and she reportedly said: “Yes, of course I was.”