HMS Prince of Wales: Huge Royal Navy ship makes triumphant return as she's welcomed home by adoring crowd

The huge Queen Elizabeth-class carrier sailed past the jetty this morning after being deployed in the USA for three months. More than 2,000 people welcomed her home after the crew took part in flight trials with the US Marine Corps and F-35B stealth fighter jets.

Commanding Officer Captain Richard Hewitt OBE was greeted by his wife Clara and three boys – Oliver , 10, William, eight, and Ben, two – as he stepped ashore. He told The News: “It’s a very special occasion to see HMS Prince of Wales return to Portsmouth to a great reception from all the families and loved ones.

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"To see the sailors reunited with their families is a privilege to watch. I am immensely proud of all on board who have been nothing short of brilliant.” Capt Hewitt was pleased to command HMS Prince of Wales after previous setbacks. She had previously spent several months in dry dock in Scotland for repairs.

The carrier broke down in August 2022 near the Isle of Wight after a fault with its starboard side propeller. It took until September this year for the warship to be back operational. “Every task given to us to deliver, we have done,” Capt Hewitt said. “In some areas, we’ve exceeded expectations with the amount of aviation work we have conducted throughout the deployment.

"Carrier Strike has been set up for the future, whether it is HMS Prince of Wales or HMS Queen Elizabeth taking the helm. The deployment has been very important and very valuable and I think we’ll reap the rewards in the future.”

Lieutenant Commander Simon Thompson worked in search and rescue cover as pilots tested “fully-laden” F-35 fighters to their limits and operations with crewless aircraft for the first time.

He said: “Pilots were operating aircraft which were at the very edge of its envelope, where things could very easily go wrong. You’re providing them assurance that things can get fixed quickly if they go wrong.

"It’s important that the UK carrier strike capability is credible, and jets can operate at their limits.” LCDR Thompson said the achievements of this deployment dispelled the doubts some had about the carrier after previous setbacks.

"The navy is full of people that fix problems, and problems are just part of our daily lives,” he added. “Having a chance to solve some of those and see her back at sea is great.” For many sailors, the moment of being reunited with their loved ones was just as memorable as the operations themselves.

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Liam Burrows, of Gosport, was welcomed home by Danielle Lawry and her daughter Leah, four. After Liam was welcomed home, he said: “It’s really nice to be back with the family before Christmas. I missed them every day while I was away.

Melissa Bromley, 17, AB, was the youngest crew member and celebrated her birthday aboard the carrier – cutting her cake in a ceremony in front of the ship’s company.

She added: “I learnt to just keep going regardless of what happens. Being in the navy is a job like no other. Regardless of what goes wrong, we always push on and persevere.” HMS Prince of Wales is undergoing a maintenance period ahead of further trials.