Best-selling author Dame Jilly Cooper has died at the age of 88.

Dame Jilly was best known as the writer of the Rutshire Chronicles series of romance novels, which last year were adapted for television in the hit series Rivals .

On Monday morning, her publishing house announced that she had died on Sunday morning after a fall.

Dame Jilly’s two children said in a statement: “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.”

Happy Prince, the production company behind Rivals (on which Dame Jilly also served as an executive producer),

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