A NATIONAL period of mourning has been declared after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Buckingham Palace announced Prince Philip's passing, aged 99, at midday today (Friday).

Tributes have flooded across the nation as well as the memories from the years of service to his wife, The Queen, the country and the Commonwealth.

One of the Duke's greatest legacies was the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which he founded in 1956, and has made a huge difference to many generations of children in Cheshire.

A Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme group was run out of Cheshire East Council Youth Support Service's offices in Crewe's Market Street.

The service was one of the leading providers of DofE Award expeditions in Cheshire offering outdoor adventures to help young people tackle challenges and learn new life skills.

Among Royal visits to Cheshire was the Prince's tour of Crewe in July 1987 where he opened the Crewe Heritage Centre, and along with the Queen took in the Bentley site, then under the banner of Rolls-Royce, and rail makers BREL.

Today a spokesman for the Royal Family said: "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

"The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh and said: "We mourn today with Her Majesty the Queen. We offer our condolences to her, to her family. And we give thanks, as a nation, and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."

Prince Philip and the Queen had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Their first son, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, followed by his sister, the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, in 1950, the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, in 1960 and the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, in 1964.

Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10 1921.

His father was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, a younger son of King George I of the Hellenes.

His mother, Princess Alice, was a daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.