A great-grandmother excited about getting her card from the Queen after hitting 100 died on the morning of her landmark birthday - missing the postman by six hours.

Sadly staunch royalist Clara Asquith, who was born on 20/2/13 and died on 20/2/13 - with a century in between of course - died at dawn, missing the precious lunchtime delivery.

Her daughter, Maureen Hepplestone, 79, said her mum had been in failing health but had wanted to live to reach 100 and receive the iconic card from the Queen.

Mrs Hepplestone said: "My mother wanted to reach her 100th birthday but also wanted to see the card from the Queen, which would have meant so much.

"It is sad she died just a few hours before the card arrived and never saw it.

"She died at about dawn and the mail came at midday.

"She was looking forward to it and talked about it and would have been disappointed that she never got to see it. She had gone downhill the final week."