Queen Camilla Pays Tribute to Author Jeffrey Archer

Queen Camilla has paid tribute to the bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer, who died on Monday at the age of 86.

"Seldom does an author get to live a life as rich, varied and colourful as any of the characters in their books, or with as many surprising plot twists," she said in a statement. She added that Lord Archer was "not without flaw" but that "friends will recall him as an irrepressible life force through all the many differing chapters of his life."

The former Conservative MP was jailed for perjury in 2001 after being found guilty of lying and cheating in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.

Queen Camilla noted that he was "an exception to the end" and expressed sadness at learning of his death, which occurred on the eve of the publication of his final work. She also mentioned his recent appearance at her Queen's Reading Room Festival, a charity Lord Archer supported.

"My sympathies go to Mary and the family at this time of sorrow," Queen Camilla stated. "I hope it may be some consolation for them to know what pleasure Jeffrey brought to me and to so many millions of readers through the pages of his works."

She concluded her tribute with: "Wherever the next page turns to, I trust there will be champagne and Shepherd's Pie in abundance. Camilla R."