TRIBUTES have been paid to the Queen as she marked 70 years on the throne on Sunday, with dignitaries and public figures in West Devon paying tribute to our longest-serving monarch ever.

Queen Elizabeth marked the start of her Platinum Jubilee year with a letter to her loyal subjects.

While the main Platinum Jubilee celebrations are over a special four-day weekend early in June, she marked her 70 years on the thone last Sunday.

This was the date when her father died and she took to the throne, Prince Philip as consort at her side, at the age of just 25.

She had made a solemn pledge to take on both the nation the Commonwealth back in 1947 at the age of 21.

Paying tribute to her husband’s role she said: ’I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly made the sacrifices that go with it. It is a role I saw my own mother perform during my father’s reign.’

She said: ’As I look ahead with a sense of hope and optimism to the year of my Platinum Jubilee, I am reminded of how much we have to be thankful.

’These last seven decades have seen extraordinary progress socially, technologically and culturally that have benefitted us all; and I am confident that the future will offer similar opportunities to us and especially to the younger generations in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth.’

She also caused a bit of a stir by saying she wished the Duchess of Cornwall to become her son Charles’s Queen Consort when Charles becomes King.

She said: ’When in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.’

She said she was looking forward to ’continuing to serve you all with all my heart, adding: ’I hope this Jubilee will bring together families and friends, neighbours and communities â?? after some difficult times for so many of us â?? in order to enjoy the celebrations and to reflect on the positive developments in our day-to-day lives that have so happily coincided with my reign.’

In West Devon, Okehampton mayor Bob Tolley said: ’I’m sure everyone in Okehampton will join the town council and myself in congratulating HM Queen Elizabeth on her Platinum Jubilee.

’We wish her the best of health and look forward to celebrating with her, as a community, in June.

On a personal note, I was born in coronation year and have been proud, as the child of a serviceman, a police officer and now councillor, to have served Her Majesty throughout that 70-year reign.’

Okehampton borough and town councillor Julie Yelland, giving her personal best wishes, said she had only praise for the Queen.

’What an amazing person she is, since she made that commitment when she was 21. She is much-loved by everyone and sets a real example, I’m so grateful for all that she has done and continues to do.

’I think that as a nation we should appreciate and value what she has done and the fact that she has made a sacrifice.

’We often think she lives in privilege but with that privilege comes responsibility, and she fulfils that responsibility and continues to do so.’

Rob Wiggins, who is district president of West Devon Scouts, remembers that he was a Wolf Cub back in 1952, aged eight, when the Queen ascended to the throne on the death of her father.

’It was an amazing time,’ he said.

’The start of a new Elizabethan Age. That is what we were told, the start of a new Elizabethan Age. It was a real novelty to have a Queen.

’She has been fabulous, and so steady, and we are so lucky to have had her as a head of state.

’Other countries change their head of state every four or five years and have to go to the great expense of electing a new president, but we have the stability of monarchy. I have lived in countries all over the world and she is much respected in all those countries.’

Tavistock county and borough councillor Debo Sellis said: ’I first became aware of the significance of the Queen when I was a girl guide.

’I gained my Queen’s Guide when I was about 14. It was a real ambition to become a Queen’s Guide. I’m in my 60s now and that was nearly 50 years ago. I cannot underestimate the effect she has on people.

’She is remarkable. I thank her for her capacity for understanding and forgiveness. She can teach us a lot.’

The 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne was marked by some special bellringing at St Eustachius’ Church in Tavistock on Sunday.

Normal service ringing took place for the morning service and at 5pm 14 ringers gathered again to ring a special sequence, named Platinum Bob Triples, on the original eight bells, followed by the more traditionally called sequence known as the Queen’s Peal, rung on the full ten bells.

The ringers also rang the methods Grandsire and Stedman Caters, each part of their normal repertoire.

None of the ringers had ever rung Platinum before and only one of the ringers actually remembers the occasion of the accession itself.

Plans will soon be formulated for special ringing over the Platinum Jubilee weekend itself in June which communities across West Devon and East Cornwall are organising celebration events for.

The usual May bank holiday weekend will be moved to Thursday, June 2 with the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday taking place the following day on Friday, June 3 resulting in a four-day bank holiday weekend for the nation.

According to the Royal Family’s website, the bank holiday will ’provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the historic milestone’.

Central Devon MP Mel Stride said: ’The 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s ascension to the throne is a quite extraordinary milestone - one that no British monarch has previously achieved.

’I am very proud to have met the Queen on a few occasions and I had the enormous honour of spending a little private time with her when I served as Leader of the House of Commons.

’Her warmth, sense of humour and interest in those around her put me at ease straight away. She is very knowledgeable and engaging. A remarkable person.’

’Her Majesty has done much to preserve our history and traditions while modernising the institution. The ease with which Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge speak about issues that matter to them, such as climate change and mental health, is in no small part down to the example the Queen has set over many years as a great supporter of thousands of charities at home and abroad.’