Bamburgh Castle owners, staff and visitors have been paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Hundreds of people have signed a Book of Condolence in the Castle’s King’s Hall, expressing their feelings about the loss of the Queen and paying their respects to the UK’s longest reigning monarch.

Bamburgh Castle owner Francis Watson-Armstrong wrote the first tribute inside the book which stands alongside a portrait of the late Queen.

Mr Watson-Armstrong said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Royal Family.

“Her Majesty was the bedrock of our nation. A defining and impactful figure of our times, she had an unshakeable sense of duty and was a remarkable and tireless leader who provided our nation with resilience, stability and continuity through decades of great change.

“The Queen was a constant presence in all our lives across many different generations. The loss of our monarch has had a profound and deep effect on so many.”

Bamburgh Castle’s Book of Condolence will remain in place for people to add their own tribute to Queen Elizabeth until after Her Majesty’s State Funeral on Monday 19 September.

A selection of the messages will be passed on to members of the Royal Family, while the Book will remain in Bamburgh Castle archives as a legacy to Queen Elizabeth and her unfaltering devotion to her country and Commonwealth.

After being raised for the proclamation of King Charles III, Bamburgh Castle’s Union Flag was lowered to half-mast again in honour of the Queen and her passing.

Bamburgh Castle will be closed on Monday 19 September for the Queen’s State Funeral.