Prince Philip: The Border region remembers The Duke of Edinburgh who has died aged 99
Leaders and prominent figures across Cumbria and the South of Scotland have paid tribute to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, who has died aged 99.
Prince Philip, the Queen's consort of more than 70 years, passed away 'peacefully' at Windsor Castle on Friday, Buckingham Palace has announced.
Over the years, he visited the Border region on many occasions - his visits often reflecting his own passions and interests.
For over six decades, HRH Prince Philip fulfilled these roles, making friends and making headlines along the way.
Following today’s announcement, the Bishop of Carlisle paid tribute to his life.
The Rt Rev James Newcome said: “We are all deeply sorry to hear of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. When I recall him and his long years of public service three words come to my mind: loyalty, fortitude and humour.
"His loyalty is well-known to all of us. He has been an extraordinary companion to Her Majesty The Queen throughout her long reign and has been a constant source of encouragement and support to her. We are hugely grateful for that.
"His fortitude is obvious. He has persevered through all sorts of difficult circumstances and has been an encouragement and source of strength to the whole of the nation.
"And his humour is well-known to everyone and, I think, has been a source of amusement and joy to all of us."
A number of flags located around the region will be flown at half-mast until 8am on the day following the ceremonial funeral.
In a heartfelt tribute HM Lord-Lieutenant for Cumbria, Mrs Claire Hensman said: “The Duke was well known to us locally here in Cumbria: a keen carriage driver, he was a regular competitor in our County.
"His list of patronages also extends to a number of Cumbrian organisations, particularly the two Outward Bound Trust centres, which he visited regularly.
"The Duke will be greatly missed and our thoughts and sympathy are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family at this difficult and painful time.”
Broadcaster Fiona Armstrong, who is also the Queen's personal representative, described the Duke's passing as a 'huge loss'.
Speaking after the announcement, she said: "It's a very sad day and a great loss for the Queen. The Duke of Edinburgh was her strength and support, but you know it's also a huge loss for the rest of us.
"The Duke gave a life of service to the nation and his legacy can be seen in the numerous projects and charities that he championed over his lifetime.
"I think I'm right in saying that during his life he made more than 22,000 solo appearances, some of them to our part of the world. This was a man who exemplified the idea of duty, and today we greatly mourn his passing."
In Selkirk, Richard McGill also paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh. His company supplies game keeping equipment to the Royal estates.
On several occasions he was invited to join Prince Philip on shoots at Sandringham, and described him 'a man you always wanted to impress.'
He said: "The thing that struck me most about him was the fact that when he lined the guns out, he would line the team out and always put himself at the end, which was a sign if a true gentlemen putting himself in the worst position.
"The other thing he did was he always drove the vehicle, he was always driving the guns around, so he didn't employ somebody to do that. He was very hands-on. Yeah, very sad news."
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell has expressed 'sadness' at Prince Philip's passing.
In a statement, he described the Duke as a 'remarkable man'. He said: "Prince Philip was a huge supporter of rural life and has been a regular visitor to my constituency both accompanying The Queen on official visits and during events at Drumlanrig Castle when pursuing his passion for horse-carriage driving.
"Prince Philip's sometimes mischievous personality and dry sense of humour, although occasionally controversial, also endeared him to many."
While we may not see crowds gathering to pay their respects, people are being asked to share their messages of condolence online.