ROYAL portrait artist Richard Stone, who painted three portraits of the Duke of Edinburgh, says he will honour the hours he spent in his presence.

Renowned artist Mr Stone, who has painted the portraits of a number of royals and world leaders, was first acquainted with the prince in 2002 after being asked to paint his portrait to commemorate his service to the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.

For the portrait, Mr Stone met the Duke of Edinburgh for a series of sittings which lasted about an hour each.

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Portrait - Richard Stone's portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh 

Mr Stone, from West Bergholt, said: “With a figure as famous as the Duke, it is only when you are with them that you get a better understanding of their character.

“We all have a preconceived opinion of the man. It’s only when you meet face to face you get a feel for what he is all about.”

Mr Stone admitted he was apprehensive about meeting the Duke and said he thought it would be challenging as he was not known for small talk.

However, he soon discovered they shared a common interest - painting.

“Prince Philip told me he had a passion for art and painting and was an amateur painter,” Mr Stone said.

“He asked if I would like to see his pictures in Buckingham Palace. It was amazing for the Duke to go out of his way to show me his work after our sitting.”

The subject matter for Prince Philip’s artwork was predominantly British landscapes.

“They were pretty impressive,” said Mr Stone. “He was a man known for his inquisitive mind and he was able to study things in depth.”

Mr Stone went on to paint a further two portraits of the Duke in 2008 and 2012.

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Sketch - the early stages of Mr Stone's portrait of Prince Philip

“There were times he would relax and reminisce,” said Mr Stone.

“He once told me, when he was engaged, he was invited to Windsor Castle. When the family fell asleep, he would wander around the castle by torchlight to look at the great artwork.”

The Duke later invited Mr Stone and his wife, Rhonda, to be his personal guests at the Trooping the Colour in 2012.

Mr Stone said news of Prince Philip’s death came as a terrible shock.

He said: “He was such a well-known public figure and you want to put a preservation order on people like him, like you would a great oak tree, so they can last forever.

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Studio - Mr Stone working on a portrait of Prince Charles. Picture: Steve Brading 

“My heart went out to the Queen as she has always spoken so affectionately about the Duke.

“Given the fact they were married for some 73 years, this is a terrifically sad time for the Queen.

“His death has given me the opportunity to realise how special it was to spend time with a very great man who helped shaped the modern monarchy.”