CEREDIGION County Council have joined the nation in sending deepest sympathies to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family following the death of HRH, The Duke of Edinburgh.

Council Chairman Cllr Gareth Davies, has written to the Queen expressing the county’s ‘great sadness’ at the news that the Duke had passed away at the age of 99.

Cllr Davies also expressed deepest sympathies on behalf of local authority members and staff as well as residents following Friday’s announcement from Buckingham Palace.

Nowhere was the death felt more keenly than in Aberporth where Prince Philip had been a frequent visitor to the Royal Aircraft Establishment over the years and former staff recall him opening a new building there.

But his links to the area stretch back to 1957 when he officially opened the new hall and extensions at what was then known as Cardigan County Secondary School.

He also visited Cardigan town after the devastating Mwldan floods of 1993, while his final visit to the area was to the Parc Aberporth industrial park in 2008 when - following a nostalgic tour of the airfield where Prince Charles trained to fly Chipmunks in the early 1970s - he met a delegation of pupils from Aberporth Primary School.

The Duke then made the short journey to the nearby farm of Rhosygadair to inspect the Royal herd of Ayrshires farmer Phil Reed had purchased.

Flags are currently flying at half-mast at various locations in the county including Canolfan Alun R Edwards, Aberystwyth; Canolfan Rheidol, Aberystwyth; Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion, Aberaeron; and County Hall, Aberaeron.