Dignitaries from across Herts have offered their condolences following the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Robert Voss, Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, said: "It with great sadness that we learn of the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

"His Royal Highness devoted his life to serving Her Majesty and this country and his sense of duty was unfailing. He is often remembered for his wit and sense of humour and fun but he never wavered in his support of The Queen and the many charities and other organisations which he supported including of course The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.

"He had a long-standing connection with Hertfordshire and was seen in the county on numerous occasions-most recently when he opened the Science Building at the University in 2017

"We should all be immensely thankful for his lifetime of faithful and devoted service to this country. On behalf of the people of Hertfordshire I send my sincerest condolences to Her Majesty and members of The Royal Family."

St Albans MP Daisy Cooper said: "Prince Philip dedicated his life to our country. We will always be grateful for his amazing service, not least the powerful legacy he leaves to millions of young people who have taken part in his unique Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

"His death is so very sad. It's always tough for a family to lose a loved one, and after the year we've had, that sense of loss will undoubtedly resonate with a lot of people today. My thoughts are with the Queen and the Royal Family."

Stevenage's Stephen McPartland said: "Very sad to hear of the passing of HRH Prince Philip. My thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and the royal family during this difficult time."

Bim Afolami, MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, said: "Terribly sad news. What a fine public servant. Deepest condolences to the Queen, and the whole Royal family."

South Cambs MP Anthony Browne said: “I am very sorry to hear the sad news from Buckingham Palace of the passing of Prince Philip.

"His service to this nation and our Queen, who he stood by as the longest serving King Consort in history, are testament to his extraordinary character.

"Though his charitable works and visits, I know many in South Cambridgeshire and across the country will have been aided by his endeavours, which will never be forgotten.

"My thoughts remain with The Queen and the Royal Family at this time.”

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Local authorities have also released statements.

A spokesperson for Stevenage Borough Council said: "On behalf of the council, The Mayor of Stevenage would like to offer his condolences on the passing of HRH Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. As a mark of respect, flags will be lowered to half-mast on all council buildings and a link to a book of condolence will be made available shortly for people to leave tributes."

Council leader Cllr Sharon Taylor added: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Queen and the Royal Family on behalf of Stevenage Borough Council.

"HRH The Duke of Edinburgh has been side by side with our Queen throughout her reign, providing his loyal support and fully engaged with her in an extraordinary lifetime’s programme of activity both in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.

"It is absolutely right that we express our thanks to him for this life of service to our country and our sincere condolences to Her Majesty on her loss.

"HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, visited Stevenage in 2012 to officially open the My Incubator business start-up facility at the Business and Technology Centre (BTC) and it was a pleasure to meet him.

"The Duke of Edinburgh spent time with local entrepreneurs, students and our business support team. He very much enjoyed his tour of Hertfordshire’s primary enterprise and innovation centre which was created to develop new innovative businesses in Stevenage."

A statement from the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Janet Smith, said: "On behalf of the city and district of St Albans, the Mayor sends our condolences to Her Majesty and the Royal Family on the death of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh."

Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Cllr Roger Trigg, said: "It is with great sadness that we received news from Buckingham Palace that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle this morning. Our very deepest sympathies go out to Her Majesty the Queen and the family.

"I speak for the whole borough in saying we will remember HRH The Prince Philip with great affection for his quick wit and warmth, his devotion to his duty, and his many charitable works. Many of us will want to pay our respects in the days ahead and we are flying Union flags at half-mast at the council offices.

"I will be writing to HRH Queen Elizabeth II and family to express our most sincere condolences on behalf of the borough. Many of you will want to share your own messages and we encourage you to do so in an online Book of Condolence opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire which you can access from our website. For those who have no online access we are looking at how we can safely provide a book locally.

"Tomorrow morning I will also be leaving a floral tribute at the western end of Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City, where we will have a temporary flag, and in Hatfield at the grass area by the statue of Pearl."

Chair of North Herts District Council, Cllr Terry Tyler, said: "North Hertfordshire District Council joins the whole nation and the Royal Family in mourning the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

"On behalf of all our residents, we would like to express our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and members of the Royal Family, and recognise the immeasurable contribution the Duke of Edinburgh made to our country.

"His long, extraordinary life coupled with his sense of duty to the country he served was admirable."

Those who wish to leave flowers in the Duke of Edinburgh's memory can do so at marked out areas in Priory Gardens in Royston, Broadway Gardens in Letchworth and The Cloisters in Hitchin.

Colette Wyatt-Lowe, chairman of Herts county council, said: “On behalf of the county council and the people of Hertfordshire, I would like to express our condolence and gratitude for the lifetime of service given by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.”

The Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Alan Plancey, has expressed his sadness following the news: “The councillors and officers of Hertsmere Borough Council are deeply saddened at the news of the death of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh.

“I know that our sadness at this time is shared by people across the borough as we remember with affection and gratitude the many years of service given by His Royal Highness.”

The Union Flag is flying at half-mast outside civic offices and at parks across the borough as a mark of respect.

Special services will be taking place at St Albans Cathedral in the coming days, including a Requiem Mass tomorrow (Saturday) at 9am and this Sunday at 11.15am.

Members of the public are welcome to visit, pay their respects and light candles.

The Acting Dean, Canon Abi Thompson said: “The nation is in mourning for the Duke of Edinburgh, her Majesty the Queen’s helpmeet and support for 73 years, father to the Royal Family and to the nation.

"We give thanks for his long life of service, and commend him to God in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life.”

Full details of the services taking place in the coming days will be available on the Cathedral website: www.stalbanscathedral.org

The University of Hertfordshire's vice-chancellor, Professor Quintin McKellar, said: "We are saddened to hear the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.

"Prince Philip had a long-standing connection with the University of Hertfordshire, after officially opening Hatfield Technical College in 1952.

"His most recent visit to the university was in 2016, where he opened the science building on our College Lane campus.

"As we join the nation in mourning, our thoughts are with Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family."

Professor Stuart Reid, principal of the Royal Veterinary College, which is between Brookmans Park and Potters Bar, said: "The RVC is deeply saddened at the passing of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh this morning.

"We were honoured to have had the pleasure of welcoming His Royal Highness to our campus on several occasions, and extend our condolences to the Royal Family and Her Majesty The Queen during this time.”