HMS Queen Elizabeth: Royal Navy carrier's crew will pay homage to D-Day 75 veterans as they make crossing from Portsmouth to Normandy

Portsmouth is set to be at the centre of the national commemorative events in the UK next week, including a ceremony on Southsea Common on June 5.

The Queen, President Trump, the Prime Minister and other world leaders will all be attending the event in our city.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier, has return to Portsmouth just in time for the D-Day 75 anniversary celebrations, after a spell at the dry dock in Rosyth.

She and her crew are set to participate in the events by paying homage to the veterans who are repeating the crossing to Normandy on the evening of June 5.

Commodore Mike Utley, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, said: ‘We’re really happy to be supporting the national commemorative event for D-Day 75.

‘This is about veterans. It’s about what they did for us 75 years ago and the fact that we can pay our respects to them but also help them get back to Normandy and see the place where their friends fought with them and sometimes fell alongside them.’

HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived back in Portsmouth on Saturday after six weeks at the dry dock in Rosyth for scheduled routine maintenance.