Dame Jilly Cooper has left a literary legacy and an £8.5 million fortune to her heirs.
The much-loved author died aged 88 in October last year after suffering a fatal head injury in a fall at her home in Gloucestershire.
Known for her steamy, society-based novels, Dame Jilly found lasting fame with The Rutshire Chronicles series, which began with Riders in 1985 and included titles such as Rivals, Polo and Mount!
Probate records show she left a gross estate valued at £9,070,307, with a net value of £8,557,118.
Her children Felix and Emily, as well as her stepdaughter Laura Cooper, will each receive an equal share.
Felicity Blunt, Dame Jilly’s agent, said: "defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over 50 years ago.
"You wouldn’t expect books categorised as bonkbusters to have so emphatically stood the test of time, but Jilly wrote with acuity and insight about all things – class, sex, marriage, rivalry, grief and fertility."
One of the signatories on Dame Jilly’s probate documents described her profession as a “polo player” – a fitting tribute to the high-society settings of her most famous works.
The author’s influence has extended to the screen, with the recent Disney+ adaptation of Rivals.
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The cast features David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Emily Atack, with guest appearances by Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett.
Dame Jilly was also a long-time friend of the Queen and based her iconic character Rupert Campbell-Black in part on Andrew Parker Bowles, her ex-husband.
Her work has earned critical recognition as well as commercial success, with Riders included in the BBC’s list of 100 important English-language novels under the love, sex and romance category.
