The Queen has joined fellow members of her local Women's Institute for a celebrity historian's talk - and an afternoon tea of cakes and sweet treats.

Looking relaxed and in good health the Queen made her third appearance of the year, after recovering from a heavy cold, to spend the afternoon with Norfolk women she has known for decades.

Television presenter and historian Lucy Worsley gave a talk on Jane Austen to mark the 200th anniversary of her death, and the members of Sandringham WI performed their comic version of Cinderella.

Each year the Queen visits WI members at West Newton village hall as part of her winter stay on her Sandringham estate.

Yvonne Browne, vice-president of the Sandringham WI, said: "I think the Queen is an amazing lady, as I say she's a real trouper.

"To be 90 years old, nearly 91, and to have had this awful cold virus, I think she's done exceptionally well. We should all be proud of her - we are at the WI.

"She knows a lot of the ladies because she's known them all her life. The Queen's been coming since 1943, before she was head of state and I've known her for 45 years."

She joked about her relationship with the monarch, who is president of the Sandringham WI, saying: "We are used to each other, we know each other's little ways."

Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said after the meeting was over: "I gave a PowerPoint presentation which I do in many, many places - village halls, history clubs, Women's Institutes, at the Royal Historic Palaces where I work, but never have I done it in quite these circumstances.

"I talked about Jane Austen and I was (going) to say she's going to be the first woman on the banknote then I thought 'no she's not going to be the first woman on the banknote, she's going to be the second' (after) the Queen, sitting there in the front row.

"It was a bit nerve-wracking but it's a subject I care about - my life is really about discovering things about forgotten people. Austen is not a forgotten person but someone I care a lot about."

She added that the group of more than 30 women discussed their favourite Austen books at he end of her talk, but she would not reveal if the Queen was a fan.

Worsley did reveal what the group had for tea, saying there was ginger cake - thought to be a favourite of the Queen - profiteroles, cheese scones, fruit cakes and meringues.