Queen Elizabeth II: Scarborough councillors' tribute to 'unique and extremely special lady who will be very deeply missed'

On behalf of the whole council and reflecting the thoughts of the residents of the borough of Scarborough, Cllr Eric Broadbent, Mayor of the Borough of Scarborough, said: “We are all deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this very difficult time.

"We are sending a special letter of condolence to Buckingham Palace to convey our sentiments directly.

“In the 70 years that Her Majesty has watched over and dutifully served our nation and commonwealth, she has done so with the utmost dignity and dedication, supporting her people through times of both triumph and adversity.

“For many of our borough’s citizens, she was the only Monarch they have ever known, the one constant in all their lives that could be relied upon to rise above the differences presented by modern society and unite people throughout an ever changing world.

“Put simply, her Majesty was a one-off; a unique and extremely special lady who will be very deeply missed by the people of the borough of Scarborough.

"We join with the rest of the country and commonwealth in our grief, but also in celebration of her extraordinary life.”

The council is flying the union flag at half-mast above the Town Hall on St Nicholas Street as a formal mark of respect, in line with all other civic buildings up and down the country.

Cllr Derek Bastiman met the Queen on a couple of occasions during his time as a borough councillor.

"She immediately put you at ease,” he said.

"In my lifetime I have never known any other than this marvellous monarch, a monarch who ruled without fear, a monarch who never wavered or shied away from duty, a monarch who showed commitment and loyalty, loyalty is something you cannot put a price on.

“We as a country and the world can only be grateful for sharing a life with one so gracious, caring and truly remarkable as Queen Elizabeth the second.

Cllr Tony Randerson said: “Although I am not a Royalist I am a humanist.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had my upmost respect for her total dedication to her role as Head of State for 70 years.

"I am sure the good people of Eastfield will be feeling a sense of loss and sadness for someone who has been part of their whole lives.

"May you rest in peace.”