Delia Smith has delivered a personal and emotional tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth whose death was announced on Thursday.

Norwich City's majority shareholder has published a heartfelt message following the death of the country's longest-reigning monarch after she passed away at her Balmoral residence at the age of 96.

Football matches this weekend, at all levels, have been postponed as a mark of respect to the Queen - including the Canaries' scheduled Championship clash against Burnley.

Published via Norwich City's official website, Smith recalled her audience with the late monarch five years ago at Windsor Castle after being invited alongside her husband Michael Wynn Jones.

"On Thursday, Michael and I arrived with the players and staff at a hotel near Burnley and heard the sad news," Smith wrote.

"Soon after Neil Adams knocked on our door to inform us the match had been cancelled, and rightly so, since the entire nation at that moment needed to press the pause button. Even if expected, the shock and the aftermath of losing our much-loved monarch of 70 years needed adjusting to.

"We would like on a personal note, and on behalf of our football club, to share a personal tribute to her.

"About five years ago we were both extremely privileged to be invited, with about eight others and their partners, to a private dinner and an overnight stay at Windsor Castle, hosted by Her Majesty.

"This turned out to be a quite amazing experience. It was an evening of warm relaxed hospitality from both Her Majesty and her wonderful staff. One of the highlights of the evening was that after dinner the Queen herself escorted us all for a tour of the castle. On reaching the very splendid library we saw not just books, but family mementoes and each guest was directed to items pertaining to their own lives.

"For me a letter describing the type of chef Queen Victoria was looking for, a collection of old cookbooks and some intricate kitchen utensils from a doll’s house. But in the centre on a lectern with a very splendid hand illustrated book of birds opened at a page containing guess what, a very splendid canary!

"What this is really all about though, is that we were so fortunate to have the opportunity to see and experience first-hand what we had only read about before; the warmth, the sparkle and the humour of a genuine and beautiful person who was also a queen.

"We’re sure all our staff and supporters at NCFC who loved and appreciated her will mourn her loss and want to send heartfelt sympathy to all her family and friends."