How an unlikely figure connected to the Royal Family inspired Jilly Cooper's raunchy Rivals hero

A generation of readers fell under the spell of Rupert Campbell-Black, the scandalous, charming and devilishly handsome character from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, the best-selling collection of novels that started with 1985’s Riders.

Decades later a whole new generation have fallen for the charms of the suave, upper-class character thanks to the 2024 TV adaptation of Rivals that aired on Hulu. While many might be familiar with Jilly Cooper’s books - which have sold over 11 million copies in the UK alone, per her website - it might come as a surprise to find out who inspired the lothario at the center of her best-selling series.

The author herself revealed that Rupert Campbell-Black is inspired by three real-life men - and one of them is Queen Camilla’s former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.

Rivals by Jilly Cooper | £5.50 (Was £9.99) at Amazon

This steamy novel is a best-seller for a reason. It's set in the glamorous, cutthroat world of 1980s British television and Lord Baddingham is desperate to retain his TV franchise. Love blossoms and burns, marriages are made and shattered, and everyone is competing to emerge victorious.

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The other two are apparently David Somerset, the 11th Duke of Beaufort, and the 21st Earl of Suffolk, Michael Howard. Speaking to Elizabeth Day on her podcast How To Fail, Jilly revealed that it all started when she moved out of London and into the Cotswolds.

This English region is known for its charming villages, rolling hills and affluent residents. Attending soirees with society’s finest, Jilly would bump into the likes of Andrew Parker Bowles, who was married to the now-Queen Camilla at the time.

"He's been a great friend for a long time so he's very like Rupert. He's beautiful and blond and stunning," Jilly shared.

She was quick to add that she was inspired by the three men’s "charm and glamour" and that Rupert’s "naughty behavior" was her own work of fiction.

Andrew and Queen Camilla first met in the 1960s and later married on July 4, 1973. Throughout their marriage they welcomed two children, food writer Tom Parker Bowles and artist Laura Lopes, and went on to divorce in 1995.

It’s widely understood that the pair have maintained a great friendship in the years since. Andrew Parker Bowles was invited to both Queen Camilla and King Charles's wedding in April 2005 and to their coronation in 2023.

Andrew’s rapport with the Royal Family extends beyond his ex-wife. Before he married Queen Camilla, he had had a brief relationship with Princess Anne. They appear to still be friends too, considering that he is godfather to her daughter, Zara Tindall.

Meanwhile, author Jilly Cooper has gone on to meet King Charles several times. She attended his and Queen Camilla's wedding and he was the one at her Investiture Ceremony at Windsor Castle last year.

Jilly was made a Dame (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for Services to Literature and Charity in 2024. Speaking to the PA News Agency, as per The Independent, she said it was "lovely" to see the King again.

"Just terribly exciting and nice," she reflected, when asked how it felt to receive the honour. "I never dreamed in a million years it would happen and it just has, so it’s lovely.”