King Charles joins past and present politicians in paying tribute to former Scottish first minister and ex-SNP leader Alex Salmond, who died suddenly at an event in North Macedonia

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said the 69-year-old had taken the idea of Scottish independence from the periphery to the centre of politics

The organiser of the conference said Salmond collapsed "into the arms" of a fellow delegate during lunch leaving everyone in a "state of shock"

An ambulance was called but despite attempts to resuscitate Salmond he was pronounced dead at the scene

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called him a "monumental figure", while King Charles said Salmond's "devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service"

Conservative MP Sir David Davis has asked Foreign Secretary David Lammy to help with bringing Salmond's body home "as quickly as possible"

Obituary: A man and a politician of contradictions