Dame Jilly Cooper Dies at 88 After Home Fall

Dame Jilly Cooper, the acclaimed British author renowned for her bestselling bonkbusters, died at age 88 following a fall at her home in Bisley, Gloucestershire, on October 4, an inquest concluded Tuesday.

The writer, best known for novels such as Riders, Rivals and Polo that explored scandal and adultery in upper-class society, was discovered by family members around 5 p.m. that day. She was initially alert and responsive, according to testimony at Gloucestershire Coroners Court. Paramedics transported her to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, where her condition worsened overnight. She passed away at 8:30 a.m. on October 5, surrounded by her children and other family members.

Senior Coroner Katy Skerrett ruled the death accidental, attributing it to a traumatic subdural haematoma caused by the unwitnessed fall. Skerrett described the incident during the inquest as an accident at Cooper's home address, possibly involving stairs, with no suspicious circumstances involved. "This is a case of accidental death, the accident being the unwitnessed fall by Dame Cooper at her address, triggering the tragic events that thereafter followed," the coroner stated. Skerrett extended condolences...