Tom Parker Bowles has shared a tribute (Image: Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Café Royal Grill restaurant and Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Queen Camilla’s son has shared a heartbreaking tribute to Dame Jilly Cooper, a friend of Queen Camilla’s, who has passed away unexpectedly. The author, who was believed to be good friends with Her Majesty, was seen just last month with the Queen for the Queen’s Reading Room Festival event.

Sharing a tribute to Dame Jilly on social media, Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles shared a picture of the beloved author with the words “the best” alongside an emoji of a broken heart.

Accompanying the image, of her and her dog, he wrote: “Deeply kind, wickedly funny and eternally sweet. And hell could she write. A true legend, in every way. RIP Jilly.”

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He accompanied this with a photograph of Dame Jilly sat on a bench and smiling at the camera with her greyhound.

Tom Parker Bowles’ upset over the Dame Jilly’s d3ath is likely to be mirrored by that of Queen Camilla’s with Her Majesty very fond of Dame Jilly.

It is believed the two women were friends, with Camilla having been a fan of the author’s books.

The author was also believed to be friends with Camilla’s first husband Andrew Parker Bowles, who was the inspiration behind her character Rupert Campbell-Black in her hit novel, Rivals, which is now a Disney TV series.

In a statement published on Monday morning, Dame Jilly’s children Felix and Emily also paid tribute to Dame Jilly.

They wrote: “Mum, was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds.

“Her unexpected d3ath 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.”

Queen Camilla has not publicly commented on her friend’s d3ath.