ROYAL Borough councillors pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, who has died aged 99.

Buckingham Palace announced Prince Philip, who was the longest-serving consort in British history, passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillor Samantha Rayner, deputy leader of the Royal Borough and lead member for Windsor, paid tribute to Prince Philip.

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She said: “I extend my deep condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family for the very sad news today of the passing of Prince Philip.

“He was an extraordinary man and performed an extraordinary service to the country and the commonwealth.

“He will be remembered in all of our hearts with deep affection, and especially here in Windsor where he was very supportive and very active in the local community.

“I, myself, met him a number of times and I was always incredibly impressed by his sincerity and his devotion to public service as well as his sense of humour.”

Councillor Andrew Johnson, leader of the council, said: “The Duke did a huge amount of charity work which we were very fortunate to witness first-hand in the borough. He will be greatly missed.

“On behalf of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead we would like to offer our sincere condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family at this sad time.”

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The leader of the Independents, councillor Lynne Jones, said she was “shocked and saddened” to hear Prince Philip had passed away and will remember him as a “down to earth” person and for his sense of humour.

In a joint statement with councillor Neil Knowles, they said: “We are saddened to hear of the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

“Many local residents will have seen him around the Great Park whether in a carriage or in his role of Ranger.

“His strength of character, contribution towards the country and his support for the Queen was immeasurable and he will be missed.”

Slough Observer: St Luke's Road Shopping Area, Old Windsor - Mike SwiftSt Luke's Road Shopping Area, Old Windsor - Mike Swift

Clewer and Dedworth East councillor Helen Price said her heart goes to the Royal Family during their sad time of loss.

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The Mayor of the Royal Borough, councillor John Story, said: “He had a long association with the Royal Borough, not only because of Windsor Castle but also The Prince Philip Trust Fund, set up in 1977 to benefit individuals and organisations in the community.

“His hard work was recognised by the Council in 1995 when he was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough, the highest honour that can be bestowed on an individual for contributions to a local area.

“The Queen and the Royal Family are in our thoughts.”