The Queen entertained the queen of cookery Delia Smith at a dinner party on Monday evening.

The monarch, joined by her son the Duke of York, hosted the gathering at Windsor Castle, the Court Circular said.

Delia Smith being made a Companion of Honour by Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2017 (Yui Mok/PA)
Delia Smith was made a Companion of Honour by the Queen in 2017 (Yui Mok/PA)

Smith, one of Britain’s best-loved TV cooks, will have been treated to dishes crafted by royal chefs at the royal residence.

She was made a member of the prestigious Order of the Companions of Honour for services to cookery last year.

Smith was accompanied by her husband Michael Wynn-Jones.

Other guests at the soiree included Sir James Dyson, the billionaire inventor, and his wife Lady Dyson, and academic Mona Siddiqui, who is professor of Islamic and interreligious studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Businessman Sir James Dyson was also at the dinner party (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)
Sir James Dyson was also at the dinner party (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)

The Queen has been staying at Windsor for Easter Court, as she does each year.

The Duke of Edinburgh remains in King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London where he is recovering following a hip replacement last Wednesday.