London’s Southwark Cathedral was awash with glitz and glamour on Friday as a star-studded crowd gathered to honor the late Dame Jilly Cooper.
The much-loved author died unexpectedly in October at the age of 88 from injuries sustained from a fall at her home in Bisley.
Stroud Times editor Ash Loveridge, who received an invite to the service, called it a personal honor, saying, “Dame Jilly was a great supporter of Stroud Times – we miss her ever so much.”
Among the high-profile attendees: The Queen, her former husband Andrew Parker-Bowles with son Tom, and literary agent Felicity Blunt, who made a chic statement with a tote reading “I love Jilly Cooper”, accompanied by her husband Stanley Tucci.
TV and film stars turned out in force, including Dame Joanna Lumley.
Also spotted at the memorial service were Danny Dyer, David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Bella Maclean, and Victoria Smurfit, all from the Disney adaptation of Cooper’s 1988 novel Rivals. Football legend Tony Adams, comedian Helen Lederer, and actress Lisa Maxwell also paid their respects.
