Prince Philip: Tributes to Duke of Edinburgh in Dorset

Prince Philip met schoolchildren in Weymouth in 2009

The Duke of Edinburgh's military service and his sense of humour are being remembered in Dorset following his death.

Prince Philip was Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifles Regiment, which has historical Dorset links, until 2020.

Tobias Ellwood, Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, said the duke's "wry way of making people smile" put soldiers at ease.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns said he was "direct and mischievously witty".

The duke captained a side in a charity cricket match on one of his first visits to Dorset

The newly-married prince paid an early visit to Dorset in 1949, playing a charity cricket match in Bournemouth in his capacity as president of the National Playing Fields Association.

In later years the duke, who died aged 99 on Friday, accompanied the Queen on visits to Weymouth in 2009, Sherborne in 2012 and Poundbury in 2016.

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Mr Ellwood said Prince Philip was a "serviceman to the end".

"The military fraternity will be deeply affected by his loss," the MP added.

"He had an air of mischief which greatly eased everybody at formal events."

In a statement, the Rifles Regiment said the duke was "respected by all who served alongside him and after him".

Mr Burns recalled his first meeting with Prince Philip in which the duke commented that Bournemouth was "full of old people".

The MP said: "I replied: 'Yes sir and most of them are a good deal younger than you'.

"There was a long pause and then he burst out laughing. People found him refreshing."

The duke's "mischievous" humour put people at ease, according to two Dorset MPs

In other tributes, the Bishop of Sherborne, Karen Gorham, tweeted: "Very sorry to hear this news today. A long life lived in service and support. Our prayers are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family at this sad time."

David Flagg, chairman of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said: "The Duke of Edinburgh has visited our towns on a number of occasions over the past 70 years.

"Many local people who are still resident in our area will have attended these historic events and will treasure their own recollections of those days."