Nicola Sturgeon led tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh today as the Scottish Parliament reconvened for only the sixth time in its history.
With political campaigning ahead of May's election briefly suspended due to the death of Prince Philip on Friday, MSPs returned to Edinburgh to pay tribute to the Queen's husband and his long record of public service.
The First Minister described the Duke "a thoughtful man, deeply interesting and fiercely intelligent" who was "devoted to supporting the Queen".
"On behalf of the people of Scotland I express my deepest sympathies to Her Majesty The Queen, who is grieving the loss of her friend and husband of almost 70 years, and to the Duke's children and the wider Royal Family," she told MSPs.
The First Minister highlighted the Duke's service in the Royal Navy during World War Two, which included two years based at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth where he was involved in escorting merchant vessels through seas known as "U-boat alley".
She continued: "The Duke of Edinburgh was devoted to supporting the Queen. They were a true partnership.
"Like First Ministers before me, I got to witness the strength of that partnership at close quarters during annual stays at Balmoral.
"I always enjoyed my conversations with the Duke of Edinburgh on these visits and on all occasions I met him.
"I was struck by how different he was in private to the way he was sometimes characterised in public. He was a thoughtful man, deeply interesting and fiercely intelligent.
"He was also a serious bookworm - which I am too - so talking about the books we were reading was often, for me, a real highlight of our conversations."
The First Minister also hailed the "distinctive individual role" he played, which included the foundation of the ever-popular Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956, and his long spell as chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.
Parties across the chamber paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.
Anas Sarwar, who commented he never met Prince Philip, said: "On behalf of the entire Scottish Labour Party, I offer my condolences to everyone in mourning here and across the Commonwealth, all his loved ones, the Royal Family, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and in particular Her Majesty the Queen.
"For more than seven decades, Prince Philip was a constant at the Queen’s side.
"None of us can even begin to understand the pressure of being Monarch, in what has often been described as a lonely job.
"But we know from all that has been said and written how much the Queen cherished the support, counsel, and love of her husband."
