Prince Philip death: Cornwall pays tribute

Prince Philip on the beach in Polzeath in 2000

People and institutions across Cornwall have been paying tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh who has died aged 99.

Queen Elizabeth II's husband "passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle", a statement from Buckingham Palace said.

Cornwall Council said the county "sends its sincere condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family".

"He was a true and loyal servant to both the Queen and country. May he rest in peace," it said.

Flags are flying at half-mast at several venues including hotels, golf courses, branches of the Royal British Legion and on Cornwall Council buildings.

'Intelligent and able man'

His last visit to Cornwall was in 2014, when he went to Newquay Gig Club, the National Lobster Hatchery, in Padstow, and the Tregothnan Estate.

The Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Edward Bolitho, met him several times in his role as the Queen's representative.

He said: "He was a great visitor to Cornwall, sometimes by himself and sometimes with Her Majesty The Queen.

"He did a quite outstanding job as the husband of the reigning monarch because he was an enormously intelligent and able man."

The Queen and Prince Philip smiling at the start of her Golden Jubilee tour in Falmouth

Mr Bolitho said: "When they last came down to Cornwall together in 2013 they visited St Ives and St Michael's Mount.

"It was very much the Queen's visit and she was leading the way, but he was always there with her, helping her, engaging with people, talking to the huge crowds of people.

"The great thing about him, if you ever saw him talking to a line of people by the time he got to the end of the line they were all laughing.

"He had a brilliant sense of humour and he knew how to gently take the mickey out of people and get the best from them."

In 2014 he visited alone, and went to the Tregothnan Estate where they made him a cup of homegrown tea at their plantation.

Mr Bolitho, who was escorting the duke, recalls how "he took a sip and they all stood there waiting and looking expectantly at him, before someone asked 'what does it taste like sir?'. He said 'tea'. He had such a sense of humour".

A Statement from the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, said: "When he married the Queen, with remarkable self-sacrifice, and in the interests of a higher good, Prince Philip immediately gave up many of his own hopes and aspirations, and the difficulty and selflessness of doing that should not be underestimated."

Truro Cathedral will not have a book of condolences because of Covid-19 restrictions but has directed people to the Church of England website for those who wish to leave a message.

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Chris Riddle, secretary of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, recalled how Prince Philip made two visits to the Royall Cornwall Show with the Queen in 1989 and 2000.

He said: "He was always great fun at the show. He was in that wonderful position where he could be slightly less formal than the Queen and was great company.

"Something like the show was very much home territory as he enjoyed country pursuits."