Tom Parker Bowles offers his heartbreaking tribute to his mom's pal

Following the death of Dame Jilly Cooper, a close pal of Queen Camilla, her son Tom Parker Bowles has come forward with a tribute of his own.

He shared it to Instagram and wrote, “Deeply kind, wickedly funny and eternally sweet. And hell could she write. A true legend, in every way. RIP Jilly” in the caption.

The image that followed was of Dame Jilly Cooper with her dog, and the words “the best” with a broken heart followed. 

For those unversed, her close friend died as a result of a fall she suffered on Sunday, at the age of 88.

News of this death has been revealed in a statement and according to Sky News Australia, “it is with great sadness that we announce the death of Dame Jilly Cooper, DBE who died on Sunday morning, after a fall, at the age of 88,” it said.

What is pertinent to mention is that Ms Cooper was a raunchy writer, known for writing about scandals in the wealthy country social circles.

Since her passing, her children, Felix and Emily, have also spoken out and say, “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.”

Even her agent, Felicity Blunt, has spoken out and said, "The privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over fifty 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."

The author was born in Hornchurch, Essex in 1937 but spent her life in Yorkshire due to a family move. Her writing career began after landing a job at the Middlesex Independent, in 1956 as a junior reporter.

In regards to her relationship with the Queen, its said she ‘adored’ the TV show adaption of her hit novel Rivals, which is known for having steamy scenes.

The King and Queen even offered her a damehood last year for her work in literature and charity, and even received congratulatory cards from the queen.

According to Express UK, she had said at the time, “among my favourite messages was a beautiful card from Queen Camilla. I also received a lovely telephone call from her former husband Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, who has helped me with so many of my books. And darling Dame Joanna Lumley, who starred in a TV series I wrote many years ago.”