Her Majesty The Queen will be visiting Plymouth on Tuesday to say her goodbyes to HMS Ocean.
A decommissioning ceremony is taking place at HMNB Davenport for the Royal Navy’s former flagship vessel. The ceremony marks the end of her service before she is sold to the Brazilian Navy.
The Queen will be the guest of honour where she will inspect HMS Ocean before meeting some of the crew who have served on board the ship and their families.
It is believed the ceremony will begin with Ocean sailing into Plymouth Sound for her final time. Other Navy ships are expected to come out to meet her before she docks at the Naval base.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the sale of the 22,000 ton vessel which arrived home in Plymouth for the last time in February of this year.
HMS Ocean was already due to be decommissioned on 27th March this year having been replaced by HMS Queen Elizabeth as the Royal Navy’s flagship.
The Queen last visited Plymouth in March 2015 to rededicate HMS Ocean after her £65 million refit. The refit was for weaponry, internal systems and living quarters.
Plymouth MP Luke Pollard took to Twitter to announce The Queen’s visit next week and said: “While it’s lovely to have The Queen back in Plymouth it’s a sad day for our city, Devonport and the Royal Navy as HMS Ocean is decommissioned.”
Mr Pollard has expressed his sadness over the sale of HMS Ocean before, stating that it makes the Royal Navy “less capable”.
However, Johnny Mercer, MP for Plymouth Moor View, said had the refit not have happened then HMS Ocean would have gone six years ago.
The £84 million raised from the sale of the ship will reportedly be used to help the Ministry of Defence’s accounts.
