IN the Okehampton area, young and old have been paying tribute to the woman who they saw as 'the nation's grandmother'.
The Union Flag on St James' Chapel is flying at half mast and books of condolence have been opened in the chapel and in the Town Hall.
A display of flowers in the Queen Mother's racing colours of blue and gold shines out from the window of The Flower Pot in Fore Street, alongside pictures spanning the many decades of her life.
Owner of the store Jane Youthed, a big supporter of the Royal Family, said the Queen Mother was part of everybody's life and she appealed to every age.
'She has been alive as long as everyone else in this country — she was the nation's grandmother and such a gracious and dedicated lady.'
Local constable PC Dave Woodland said she was somebody people looked up to and would be sadly missed.
Okehampton Churchwarden Bert Crocker said the Royal Family had gone through many trials and tribulations over the past few years and the Queen Mother was the rock that held the family together.
'It is only when people die that we realise what they were in life and now we are beginning to realise what a wonderful person the Queen Mother was.'
Mayor of Okehampton Christine Marsh said in his tribute to his grandmother Prince Charles summed up everybody's feelings about the grand old lady.
'She was in touch with people and approachable and that's why people thought so much of her.'
Organiser of the Queen Mother's 100th birthday celebrations in Okehampton two years ago Derek Godfrey Brown was lucky enough to meet her in 1972 at a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
'This country has lost a remarkable woman,' he said. 'She had an immense energy and supported so many causes that we hold dear.
'After the abdication of Edward VIII, she and King George VI led us through the very dark days of the second world war. We cannot measure the depth of our gratitude but we can use her example to ensure our standards do not slip or are compromised.'