'We're back': HMS Prince of Wales returns home from Arctic deployment

HMS Prince of Wales has returned to Portsmouth after her first deployment to the Arctic.

The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, which is NATO's command ship, took part in the largest Arctic exercise for 30 years - Exercise Cold Response 2022, which has featured 30,000 personnel from 27 allied nations.

Prince of Wales confirmed her return to her home port on Twitter.

• HMS Prince of Wales bids farewell to Navy colleagues from first Arctic deployment
• HMS Albion returns to Plymouth after NATO Exercise Cold Response
• Navy takes over command monitoring English Channel

During her Arctic deployment, HMS Prince of Wales sailed within 900 miles of the North Pole, leading a task group in the region.

She has spent the past seven weeks working with Navy colleagues and allies from NATO and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force.

Captain Steve Higham, Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, said he was "very proud" of the ship's company.

During the deployment, the Royal Navy was joined by Commander Harald Thor Straten, an ice expert from the Royal Norwegian Navy, who shared his 40 years of expertise working in sub-zero conditions with crew on board HMS Prince of Wales.