Her Majesty The Queen visited Portsmouth on Saturday to bid farewell to the company of the HMS Queen Elizabeth ahead of the ship’s maiden operational deployment. The visit comes as the HMS Queen Elizabeth prepares to lead the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group on a seven-month operational deployment. During the deployment, more than 26,000 nautical miles will be crossed from the Mediterranean to the Philippine Sea.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Queen arrived on board an aircraft carrier where she was greeted by Captain Angus Essenhigh, the Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Commodore Stephen Moorhouse, and the Commander UK Carrier Strike Group. The Queen then received a briefing on the route of the ship’s upcoming deployment.
After the briefing, Her Majesty The Queen met with the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and Royal Marines personnel preparing for their deployment. About 250 United States Marines will also embark on the journey, serving on the operation alongside their UK counterparts.
The Queen named HMS Queen Elizabeth on 4 July 2014 at Rosyth, Scotland. The Duke of Edinburgh joined Her Majesty, along with The Princess Royal at the ship’s Commissioning Ceremony in Portsmouth on 7 December 2017.
The Queen received Commodore Stephen Moorhouse and Captain Angus Essenhigh as the outgoing and incoming Commanding Officers of the ship at an Audience at Buckingham Palace on 18 March 2020.
