Queen visits set of favourite racy show 'Rivals' after Jilly Cooper's death

Queen Camilla visited the set of her favourite show Rivals, a racy television adaptation of a novel by the late Dame Jilly Cooper.

On Monday, December 8, the Queen arrived on the set of the Disney+ show in Bristol, two months after Her Majesty joined the world in mourning her “wonderfully witty” friend and beloved author following her tragic death in October.

According to The Independent, the visit took place during filming for the drama’s second series, with production teams sharing how the show has boosted opportunities for young creatives across the South West.

Her Majesty met cast members including David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean, Danny Dyer, Aidan Turner, and Nafessa Williams.

The visit carried emotional weight, coming just weeks after Dame Jilly Cooper passed away at age 88 following a fall at home. Camilla, 78, was among the first to pay tribute in a statement issued by Buckingham Palace. “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.”

At the Cliveden Literary Festival that same month, the Queen had celebrated the author’s famously outrageous humour, recalling her “immortal line: ‘I’m going to get absolutely plastered tonight, darling. I love you so much, I want to see two of you’.”

Camilla, a long-time friend who called her a “legend” and a “wonderfully witty and compassionate friend,” also met Dame Jilly’s family on set and viewed the show’s 1980s costumes.

Her early enthusiasm for the hit series has been well-documented, with The Times noting last year she received a preview copy even before the public.

Rivals dives into the high-stakes 1980s world of British television, where reputations shift as quickly as power. The new 12-episode season began filming in May and is set for release in 2026 as Lord Tony Baddingham pushes to protect Corinium’s grip on the industry.