Royal send-off for HMS Prince of Wales
The Queen Elizabeth-class carrier has deployed to the Mediterranean.
The Duchess of Cornwall has provided HMS Prince of Wales with a royal send-off as the aircraft carrier left Portsmouth en route to deployment in the Mediterranean.
The Queen Elizabeth-class carrier’s operation comes less than a month after her return from the Arctic, where the crew contributed to the largest exercise in the region for 30 years – Exercise Cold Response 2022.
In 2019, the Duchess attended the commissioning ceremony for the 919ft long vessel, accompanied by her husband, Prince Charles.
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After landing on the flight deck of the 65,000-tonne warship at Portsmouth Naval Base on Thursday, the Duchess was given a guard of honour.
She then went on to visit the bridge where the commanding officer, Captain Steve Higham, gave a brief on the ship’s NATO role and Cold Response.
A number of non-service medals for long service and good conduct were presented, and the Duchess was also able to chat to a number of members of the ship’s 700-strong personnel before her departure.