The Mayor of Ross-on-Wye Town Council has spoken of people’s shock and sadness at the passing of our longest ever reigning momarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the town with the Duke of Edinburgh in 1957.

Cllr Ed O’Driscoll said: “On behalf of the whole community of Ross-on-Wye I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to King Charles III and the family of our late Queen.

“May she rest in peace. We understand how shocked and saddened so many of us will be by this news and will be providing books of condolence at St Mary’s Church and the Larruperz Centre.”

And admitting it “is very difficult to know what to say at such a time in our nation’s history”, he turned to the monarch’s own Christmas broadcast in the year of her visit to Ross.

“I feel these few words spoken by Her Majesty are poignant and appropriate: ‘I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else – I can give my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.’

“She lived by these words until the very end.”