Queen Elizabeth II remembered in Dorset as tributes pour in

Her Majesty attended a Mad Hatter's tea party at Sherborne Abbey in 2012

Tributes have been paid in Dorset following the death of the Queen.

Political figures and community leaders have paid their respects to the monarch who died at Balmoral on Thursday.

Dorset's Lord-lieutenant Angus Campbell said: "We have all lost a unique, loving and determined monarch. Our loss is incalculable."

The county's police chief constable, Scott Chilton, said there was a "sombre mood" across the force.

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Flowers and messages have been left at the base of the Queen Mother statue in Poundbury

Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick described the Queen as "both remarkable and inspirational".

He said: "I remember seeing her when she visited Bournemouth when I was a small boy and, more recently, when she came to Sherborne for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Both were very memorable occasions."

The Queen last visited Dorset on 27 October 2016 for the unveiling of a statue of the Queen Mother in Poundbury.

The Queen planted a tree at Minterne House, home of Lord-lieutenant for Dorset, Lord Digby, in 1998

On Friday morning a number of people had laid flowers at the base of the monument. Tributes have also been left at war memorials around the county, including Bournemouth's Cenotaph.

During an earlier to Poundbury in May 1998, the Queen and Prince Philip also visited nearby Minterne House where she planted an acer tree.

But her first trip to Dorchester as monarch was in July 1952, just five months into her reign, when she visited the summit of Maiden Castle to see the excavations and speak to archaeologists working on the site.

The young Queen spoke to archaeologists at Maiden Castle in 1952

Dorset Council chairman Val Pothecary said: "We give thanks for her wonderful life and years of devotion... She has been an inspiration to us all."

Leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, Drew Mellor, said: "We have lost one of the most important figures from British history who never wavered from her dedication to public duty."

BCP Council chairman Nigel Hedges recalled "fond memories" of the Queen's visit to Bournemouth Gardens in 1966, the police station in 1979 and King's Park and the seafront in 2004.

The Queen came to Poole in 2004 to see the new RNLI training college

As part of her visit in 1966, the Queen visited Christchurch Priory. Photographs show Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh being driven along the High Street lined with crowds.

Christchurch vicar Rev Charles Stewart said hundreds of people had already visited the church to pay their respects.

"It's where people come in Christchurch on days like this," he said.

"She has been queen for longer than I have lived - it's going to be quite strange for a lot of people under the age of 75 to adjust to the fact that she is no longer our queen."

In 1969, the monarch opened Poole's new hospital and in 1995 awarded Poole's Ryvita factory a Royal Warrant.

She also visited Poole's Lighthouse theatre to officially open the building in 1979, then again in 2004 to reopen the refurbished venue.

Lighthouse chief executive Elspeth McBain said: "The Queen had a long connection to Lighthouse and our sense of bereavement is felt all the more deeply because of her visits."

Flowers have been laid at Bournemouth's Cenotaph

The 2004 visit that began in Bournemouth also included a tour of the new RNLI training college. Thousands lined Poole Quay as the royals left on a lifeboat.

Mr Hedges added: "Many local people will have attended these historic events and will treasure their own recollections of those days."

During the 10-day mourning period, Dorset Museum in Dorchester is asking visitors to contribute to a book of memories.

Books of condolence will also be available to residents at locations across the county, including Bournemouth and Christchurch libraries, Poole Museum, County Hall in Dorchester and all Dorset Council libraries.

The Queen's last visit to Dorset was in 2016 for the unveiling of the Queen Mother statue in Poundbury

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