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Currently, HMS Prince of Wales holds the honour, taking the place of her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth on December 2 during a ceremony in Liverpool. The Royal Navy said Britain’s two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers will regularly rotate the title between them.
One of the 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers will be ready to deploy at short notice for prioritised missions, while the other is carrying out routine tasks or undergoing maintenance. HMS Prince of Wales was named as the flagship for the first time in her five year career.
She is currently preparing to take charge of the UK Carrier Strike Group during a deployment to Japan and the Indo-Pacific region in the Spring of 2025. There was no formal ceremony to mark the change of title, but both aircraft carriers did pass each other to and from Portsmouth.
Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, Captain Will Blackett, said: “This is a proud moment for HMS Prince of Wales. We’ve been training hard, ably assisted by our sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth. We’re ready, we’re excited, and look forward to taking the next step in the ship’s life.”
Several ships have been named as the flagship in modern history. There is also a special ceremonial flagship role for one historic warship. Here are some of the vessels which have been named as the Royal Navy flagship.
5. HMS Bulwark
HMS Bulwark served as the Royal Navy flagship between October 11, 2011, and June 1, 2015. An announcement last month from the defence secretary confirmed that she will be decommissioned. | Royal Navy
6. HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal was named as the Royal Navy flagship in December 13, 2009, serving in the role for exactly 12 months. She is pictured leaving Portsmouth for the final time on May 20, 2013. The Invincible-class vessel also served as the flagship between 2005 and 2007. | Royal Navy
7. HMS Illustrious
HMS Illustrious served as the Royal Navy flagship between 2007 and 2009. She's pictured leaving Portsmouth to carry out an exercise in the Mediterranean. | Royal Navy
8. HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible served as the Royal Navy flagship between 1993 and 2005. She played a major role in various conflicts, including The Falklands, Kosovo and Iraq. She is pictured leaving Portsmouth for the final time on March 24, 2011. | LA(Phot) Simmo Simpson