Understand
Queen Camilla pays tribute to bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer following his death at 86
Overview
Queen Camilla has led tributes to bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer, who has died at the age of 86. Archer, known for works such as Kane and Abel and the Clifton Chronicles, sold more than 300 million books during his five-decade career. His publisher HarperCollins stated he died suddenly and peacefully at home on Monday, coincidentally on the eve of the publication of his final novel, Adam and Eve. Political figures, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former Prime Minister Sir John Major, also paid tribute to his remarkable life and storytelling career, which included a prison sentence for perjury in 2001.
Key points
- Author and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86.
- Queen Camilla paid tribute, describing him as an 'irrepressible life force' and noting his support for her Reading Room charity.
- Archer sold more than 300 million books over a five-decade career, including hits like Kane and Abel.
- His final novel, Adam and Eve, was published on Tuesday, the day after his death.
- Archer served as a Conservative MP and deputy party chairman before entering the House of Lords in 1992.
- He was jailed for four years in 2001 for perjury and perverting the course of justice following a libel case against the Daily Star.