"It is with great sadness that we received the news that Her Majesty The Queen passed away at Balmoral this afternoon. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family.
“It is hard to put into words how profoundly we feel this loss. As the longest serving monarch in British history, Her Majesty The Queen devoted her life to our country and was a symbol of unity, strength and hope for us all. The Union Flag will be flying at half-mast at the council offices as a mark of respect for her extraordinary life and reign.
"I will be writing to His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family to express our most sincere condolences on behalf of the district. Many of you will want to share your own messages and we will open books of condolence at our offices in Hertford and Bishop’s Stortford from tomorrow (9 September). The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire has also made an e-book of condolence available at www.lord-lieutenant-herts.org.uk/remembrance/ for the public to sign.
“I hope in this difficult time, we can find comfort in our shared memory of a remarkable woman who united us as Queen in grace and in dignity for over seventy years.”
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Further information on books of condolence and floral tributes here.