Guernsey Press

Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth sets sail after royal visit

The Queen flew onboard to wish the crew well

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The Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail for its first operational deployment after the Queen flew onboard to wish the crew well.

Hundreds of people lined the harbour walls to wave off the £3 billion warship as it set off from Portsmouth Naval Base for the 28-week deployment by the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific region which will cover 26,000 nautical miles.

The Queen was welcomed by the ship’s commanding officer Captain Angus Essenhigh, and Commodore Stephen Moorhouse, commander of the UK CSG, after arriving by helicopter while the 65,000 tonne ship was still at base.

The Queen also had a chance to meet some of the 1,700 personnel on board the carrier which include Royal Navy sailors, Royal Air Force airmen and women, Royal Marines, and 250 United States personnel.

Her hour-long visit followed a tour by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday.

She was wearing a brick-red military-style cashmere coat with a black velvet collar and buttons, over a crepe wool dress by Stewart Parvin and a Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat.

HMS Queen Elizabeth
Captain Angus Essenhigh (left) greets the Queen (Steve Parsons/PA)

It is understood that the Queen is keen to recommence more public engagements in the coming months instead of the virtual events which have taken up much of her schedule since the pandemic hit.

Captain Essenhigh told PA: “It’s always a great privilege to host the Queen and to have her as both our sovereign and our lady sponsor come and wish us well as we set off on a seven-month deployment is something incredibly special.”

The Queen presented a medal for 15 years’ long service and good conduct to Petty Officer Matthew Ready, 38, from Gosport, Hampshire.

He said: “It was an incredible honour for me and my family.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth
The Queen meeting personnel before they deploy (Steve Parsons/PA)

Able seaman Chelsea Paterson, 24, from Chirnside, Scotland, said: “It was incredible, an honour to see her, let alone speak to her, the highlight of my career.”

Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commander UK CSG, said the Queen was looking forward to some peace and quiet, as the F35B jets based near her home in Sandringham would be away on the deployment for seven months.

He added: “It was an absolute privilege to host her majesty on her flagship, she was really fascinated and interested in where we were going and was particularly struck not just by where the carrier was going but where the frigates and destroyers are going and the variety of the trip.”

HMS Queen Elizabeth
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who also visited the ship, said: “This deployment shows that we are strong on our own, but even stronger with our allies. I want to join the nation in wishing the crews across the Carrier Strike Group every success as they depart on this truly historic endeavour.”

The Queen
The Queen met members of the crew (Steve Parsons/PA)

The F35B jets are multi-role combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, mission systems and stealth technology – enabling them to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.

The deployment has been organised as part of the “UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific region” in a bid to “bolster deep defence partnerships” as well as to take part in an exercise to mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

UK Carrier Strike Group
(PA Graphics)

The Royal Navy Astute-class submarine will also deploy, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The carrier had not been expected to return to Portsmouth after taking part in a major exercise off Scotland and the CSG had been expected to gather in the Solent prior to departure.

But heavy winds led to the unscheduled stop in the naval base with most of the other ships waiting at Devonport to regroup before sailing for the Mediterranean.

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