Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier To Return To Liverpool
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Ahead of a planned global deployment, aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will pay a week-long visit to Liverpool, one of two cities with which the Royal Navy ship is officially affiliated.
The 65,000-tonne Portsmouth-based warship, which also has ties with Bristol, has not visited the northern city since 2020; she is returning to officially receive the Freedom of the City as part of a seven-day programme of events and community engagement, as per a recent Royal Navy press statement.
Commanding Officer Captain Will Blackett commented: “It is a great privilege to bring the ship to Liverpool – a city with very special historical links to the Royal Navy – and it is a particular honour for us to receive the Freedom of the City this week. This is the culmination of a very busy autumn training programme.
“The ship’s company deserve recognition for their remarkable efforts, and this visit allows us to show you what we do.”
The vessel's 800-strong crew will take part in a Freedom Parade on Friday, December 6. Over the following two days around 20,000 members of the public will get the chance to tour the carrier, in an echo of the ship's 2020 visit. Tickets have already sold out.
Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Richard Kemp, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming HMS Prince of Wales back to Liverpool."
The Queen Elizabeth-class vessel was commissioned in December 2019 and has been designed to be able to carry between 24 and 36 F-35 Lightning II fighters, plus a range of helicopters including Apaches, Merlins, Wildcats and Chinooks. She is 284 metres long, has an overall beam of 73 metres, and a range of 10,000 nautical miles.
Her recent operational history includes participation in the 2024 NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender and helping to conduct a series of Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) trials in 2023.
HMS Prince of Wales is due to arrive at the Cruise Liner Terminal on Monday, December 2 after a programme of aviation and gunnery training. She will depart on Monday, December 9, heading back to Portsmouth.
- You can read more details on the Royal Navy website