Beloved author Dame Jilly Cooper has left her staggering £8.5million fortune to her two children after soaring to fame for her career in steamy sex scandals and upper-class dynasties. The best-selling author, who was the creative mind behind rompy novels such as Riders, Rivals and Polo, died at the age of 88 last October. Now, probate records seen by The Sun reveal the doting mum hailing from Stroud, Gloucestershire, left a gross estate of £9,070,307.

After her liabilities were settled, the net value of her estate was finalised at a jaw-dropping £8,557,118. Beneficiaries include her two children, Felix and Emily, and her stepdaughter, Laura, who will all receive and equal share of her estate. Following her death, Queen Camilla led tributes to her long-term friend, gushing: "I was so saddened to learn of Dame Jilly's death last night.

"Very few writers gett o 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. In person, she was a wonderfully witty and compassionate friend to me and so many, and it was a particular pleasure to see her just a few weeks ago at my Queen's Reading Room Festival, where she was, as ever, a star of the show.

"I join my husband, The King, in sending our thoughts and sympathies to all her family. And may her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs." The best-selling author sold more than 11 million books in the UK alone after transforming the sex lives and social circles of the wealthy elite into blockbuster fiction.

Her Rutshire Chronicles began with Riders in 1985, followed by Rivals in 1988. The steamy saga reached a whole new generation last year when Disney+ developed the saucy hit into a new series, starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Aidan Turner. Actor Rufus, who also stars in Rivals, revealed the cast were "almost exactly halfway through filming series 2" when the news of her death hit headlines.

He said Dame Jilly had been at her famous summer garden party only a few months prior, adding: "What an extraordinary woman". The author's fortune was a far cry from the early days of her career, when she and husband Leo faced a financial crisis. She had originally completed Riders under the title Bloods in 1969, but tragically lost the manuscript on a London bus after enjoying a boozy lunch.

Thankfully, Jilly rewrote it after a bank manager warned the couple that they may need to sell their manor house unless they raised the cash quickly. In 1985, the book hit shelves and made her one of Britain's most successful authors.

The Earl of Suffolk, Andrew Parker Bowles and the Duke of Beaufort were among those said to have inspired her leading man Rupert Campbell-Black. The editor of Horse & Hound reportedly called Riders disgusting, while Dame Jilly later joked her Spitting Image puppet simply said: "Sex sex sex sex sex sex."

The writer went on to produce approximately 40 books in her lifetime. Dame Jilly's three children said after her passing: "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." Dame Jilly was married to publisher Leo Cooper from 1961 until his death in 2013. But their marriage wasn't perfect.

The pair weathered a difficult storm in 1990 when publisher Sarah Johnson revealed she and Leo had a years-long affair. The couple separated for some time, but eventually reconciled and rekindled their romance. In 1969, Dame Jilly published her first book, How To Stay Married, before becoming famous for novels packed with lust, laughter and scandal.

Her agent Felicity Blunt said Dame Jilly wrote "to add to the sum of human happiness." She added that the writer would be best remembered for The Rutshire Chronicles and "its havoc-making and handsome show-jumping hero Rupert Campbell-Black." The Queen Consort attended the memorial to Dame Jilly in January alongside a star-studded slew of TV stars.

Rivals stars Aidan Turner, Danny Dyer, Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean were also seen showing their respects at the poignant service. They were joined alongside former footballer Tony Adams, comedian Helen Lederer and actress Lisa Maxwell. Meanwhile, Dame Joanna Lumley, actor Rupert Everett, TV presenter Clare Balding, and Jilly's friend of 40 years, Alan Titchmarsh, also attended.

After the service concluded, Dame Joanna admitted she felt "elated and full of champagne", adding: "It was very touching, sometimes very funny, just sometimes very moving and very beautiful." The much-loved author passed away after suffering a fatal head injury from a fall at her home, Gloucestershire Coroners' Court heard.

Dame Jilly was initially alert and transferred by paramedics to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Sadly, her condition deteriorated, and she died the following day, surrounded by her loved ones. Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, reached a conclusion of accidental death following the inquest.