Prince Charles honoured with new Royal Navy title ahead of HMS Prince of Wales commissioning

The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall are in the city today for the commissioning ceremony of the navy’s newest aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales – you can follow our live updates here.

This morning the navy announced the Duke will be the Honorary Commodore-in-Chief, Aircraft Carriers.

The honour was bestowed upon him by the First Sea Lord Tony Radakin, with the blessing of the Queen.

The Royal Navy said the title ‘highlights the continued relationship between the Royal Navy and the Monarchy and gratefully acknowledges the service of many members of the Royal Family.’

As well as the commissioning today also marks the 78th anniversary of the sinking of the last battleship named Prince of Wales.

This is the second ceremony for the warship, after its naming in 2017. It arrived in Portsmouth for the first time last month.

Prince Charles, a naval officer himself, served in the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk from 1971 to 1972, and later commanded the minesweeper HMS Bronington in 1976, for the final ten months of his active service in the Royal Navy.

In 2005 he was given the title of Commodore-in-Chief, Plymouth, honouring his new close links with the Senior Service.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy explained what will happen in today’s ceremony.

She said: ‘The ceremony consists of a royal guard made up by the ship's company who will be inspected by their royal highnesses, as well as a service by the chaplain of the fleet and music from the Band of the Royal Marines.

‘Following this will be the cutting of the commissioning cake and the hoisting of the white ensign which officially designates the ship as part of the Royal Navy's operational fleet.’