Jilly Cooper, most beloved British author died on October 4, 2025, at her home in Bisley, U.K.
The cause of death of the popular veteran journalist and author had been finally revealed, more than a month after her passing away.
The 88-year-old author suffered a fatal head injury during a fall at her home.
According to the Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court, soon after the fall, Cooper was initially alert and paramedics transferred her to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, but her condition deteriorated later and she died.
Katy Skerrett, the senior coroner for Gloucestershire, concluded that Cooper had died of an accidental death, adding that the author died as a result of a traumatic "subdural haematoma".
Dame Jilly Cooper is an English language author and journalist, best known for the Rutshire Chronicles, which follows the scandals of the upper classes in the fictional Cotswolds county of Rutshire.
Her second novel in the series, Rival, got so popular and was adapted for Disney+ and released last year.
Her novels were often described as "bonkbusters", but according to Cooper, “they were a bit of everything.”
She began her career as a journalist at age 20, as a media reporter in 1957.
Her breakthrough came in 1969 after her stories got published in the Sunday Times Magazine and the Sunday Times Newspaper.
Her followers and readers expressed that Cooper left a huge void among the journalist and reader community.
Her death also received tributes from high-profile figures from around the globe.
Queen Camilla expressed, “Very few writers get to be a legend in their own lifetime, but Jilly was one, creating a whole new genre of literature and making it her own through a career that spanned over five decades.”
Author Jilly Cooper was also awarded a "Damehood" in 2024, presented by King Charles at Windsor Castle, England.
She was also made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Year Honours list for her services to "literature" and to "charity".
