Thank you for joining us for our live coverage of tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh from members of the Welsh Parliament.

Tributes are also being paid today in the House of Commons and House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The commemorations take place ahead of the duke's funeral on Saturday.

Coverage of the House of Commons session can be seen on the BBC News and BBC Parliament channels from 14:30 BST.

Conservative Member of the Senedd David Melding recalled the opening of the fourth assembly in 2011 when he hosted Prince Philip's table at a celebratory lunch.

"The duke was good company and engaging. That was the basis of his extraordinary character," he said.

"He enjoyed life and found the people placed on this earth at the same time as him as fascinating, unique and capable of valuable service to others."

Labour's Alun Davies paid tribute the Duke of Edinburgh's wildlife conservation work.

He said he'd met him while working at the World Wildlife Fund, where Prince Philip was the president.

"Quite often figureheads could be distant, only attending formal occasions. But that wasn't Prince Philip's way," Mr Davies said.

"He galvanised and invigorated the whole organisation.

"His passion, his knowledge and his understanding challenged the organisation and all of us in it."

Mark Reckless, speaking for the Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party, paid tribute to Prince Philip's ability to have "genuine and real conversations with so many people".

He said that in doing so the duke was able to "touch so many people's lives by finding something special to say to different people and to engage his own character".

Liberal Democrat Member of the Senedd Kirsty Williams also paid tribute to work the Duke of Edinburgh carried out for young people.

She said his commitment to children and young people went beyond the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

He also supported literacy programmes across the world "developing public libraries recognising the importance of access to the written word in democratising knowledge".

Lord Elis-Thomas, a former presiding officer of the Senedd, said the Duke of Edinburgh had a "unique" interest in faith communities with him understanding the "importance of faith to communities".

He added: "He was a worthy representative of the religious and national diversity of the United Kingdom. May he rest in peace and rise in glory."

Caroline Jones, the leader of the Independent Alliance for Reform Group in the Senedd, said the Duke of Edinburgh had been "a shining beacon of public service".

"His Royal Highness devoted his life to his Queen and our nation," she said, adding Prince Philip was "a man committed to helping others above all else".

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price sent his sympathy to the Royal Family.

He said: "It’s important to bear in mind as has already been noted in the midst of all the official mourning, we are taking here about a wife who has lost her husband with an incomprehensible void opening up after so many years together.

"In a year of so much loss, our silence here today is a mark of respect and commemoration to the Royal Family in their grief but it’s also a heart-rending symbol of loss as we grieve with all those who have lost loved ones during this most difficult of years."

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, paid tribute to the work Prince Philip had made towards supporting young people, military charities and wildlife projects.

He said the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme had benefitted millions of young people around the world, while in Wales it had put “more than 400,000 people on the road to a future of bright prospects”.

Mr Davies said he had met the Prince on several occasions when he’d visited the Senedd and he was “always interested, always thoughtful and always considered in his judgement”.

First Minister Mark Drakeford told the virtual Senedd meeting Prince Philip had lived a "remarkable” life.

The Welsh Labour leader said the duke championed a “broad diversity” of causes in Wales “in the spheres of culture, sport and the environment”.

Mr Drakeford said: “A very long life in any circumstances, brings with it a set of remarkable events witnessed and experiences, enjoyed or endured.

“To have lived such a life at the centre of world events and in a way which made almost every experience of public, rather than simply private interest, makes it even more remarkable still, and that was the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

“We will all have heard the tributes of the last few days, and their entirely accurate focus on the theme of public service, but it is worth pausing for a moment to remember the human story that goes alongside the service, and the decade after decade in which that service was sustained.”

As the duke was also the Earl of Merioneth, Mr Drakeford said it was "no surprise, therefore, that he was a supporter of a number of associations and societies in Meirionnydd, to the cricket club, the sailing club to the Meirionnydd brass band”.

The first minister said the last 12 months had seen many families faced with the grief of losing someone they have loved.

“However it happens, each loss is uniquely felt by those for whom that person will leave a gap in their lives, which no one else can fill," he said.

“Our thoughts today are with those members of the wider royal family, who have to face that loss in the particularly distressing circumstances, caused by the public health emergency.”

Mr Drakeford concluded: “On behalf of the Welsh Government and those supporting the government in this Parliament, which was another huge development during his lifetime, I extend our sincerest sympathies,” he said, "at the end of an exceptional life lived.”

Presiding Officer Elin Jones has opened the recall of the Senedd in a virtual session to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.

She said members were meeting to “to express our sympathy with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family”.

“The prince gave many years of public service," she said.

"This included active military service during the Second World War and the creation of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which has given hundreds of thousands of young people in Wales and beyond vital experiences and opportunities.”

Members of the Senedd then held a minute's silence for the duke.

When HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, married Princess Elizabeth - the future Queen - he was given the title Earl of Merioneth.

He was made chancellor of the University of Wales in 1949 and also visited Aberfan after the 1966 mining disaster.

BBC Wales takes a look back at the role the duke has played in Welsh public life and history.

Image source, Getty Images

People across Wales have been paying tribute to Prince Philip who died on Friday, aged 99.

Tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh included many from figures in the worlds of politics, public life, arts and sport.

The Archbishop of Wales John Davies said the duke had been the Queen's rock and had lived a life rooted in service and duty both to her and others.

Paralympic champion Baroness Grey-Thompson, chair of the Duke Of Edinburgh Awards, said he was was "fascinated" hearing young people's stories of the challenges they had faced taking part in the scheme.

"You came away from any time you spent with him feeling really enthusiastic about how we could get more young people involved," she said.

Image source, Getty Images

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, won widespread respect for his steadfast and constant support of the Queen.

"I've just done what I think was my best," he once told the BBC.

Read more about the duke's life.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of a special session of the Welsh Parliament.

The Senedd has been recalled for members to pay tribute to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, following his death on Friday at the age of 99.

Due to Covid regulations it will be a virtual session - you can watch proceedings via the Senedd Live video link above.

Image source, Getty Images