Earl Charles Spencer has revealed a personal family link to Queen Camilla’s best friend.
Princess Diana's brother took to his Instagram account on Wednesday to share that Dame Jilly frequently visited The Falconry during her youth, as her uncle served as estate agent to his grandfather.
Charles shared the revelation alongside a photo of the historic 1613 building, once used for royal hawking and later home to an estate agency run by Cooper’s uncle.
He penned the caption, “The Falconry, built for one week’s royal entertainment in 1613: it served as a weatherproof platform for ladies to watch the men flying their hawks in the Park.”
Charles added, “I had the privilege of living here before inheriting @althorphouse in 1992.”
“Before that it was where the Estate’s resident land agents lived. (The author Jilly Cooper often stayed here as a girl, as her uncle was my grandfather’s agent,)” he concluded.
Notably, Earl Charles Spencer's revelation came after Queen Camilla shared a touching message following Dame Jilly’ death.
The Queen praised the novelist for attaining iconic status in her lifetime, having pioneered a whole new literary genre over five decades.
"I was so saddened to learn of Dame Jilly’s death last night,” her statement began.
She added, “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.”
The Queen fondly recalled Jilly Cooper’s warmth and wit, noting how she captivated everyone at the recent Queen’s Reading Room Festival.
Camilla expressed, "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. Camilla R,” the Queen signed off.
The Queen and Dame Jilly had a decades-long friendship, both residing in Gloucestershire where their social circles frequently overlapped.
