HMS Queen Elizabeth completes Liverpool visit

HMS Queen Elizabeth has departed Liverpool after a five-day visit.

The Royal Navy flagship's sailors spent time engaging with the local community during the stay, including a rugby match and culture stops at museums and Liverpool's waterfront.

Local youth groups and veterans were also given tours of the ship while she was alongside at the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

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Captain Ian Feasey, Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, said it was "fantastic" for the flagship to visit the Merseyside city.

He added that he hopes the visit demonstrates to "the people of Liverpool and Merseyside the importance the Royal Navy puts on the bond between the service and a city with such rich maritime heritage".

The 65,000-tonne warship left Liverpool on Monday as she continues essential training.

HMS Queen Elizabeth spent most of last year on the Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) deployment, which took the aircraft carrier, her F-35B Lightning jets and her task force of warships, a submarine and helicopters to the Indo-Pacific and back.