Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth to return to Portsmouth naval base after anchoring at sea - when

HMS Queen Elizabeth will be heading back to her home port tomorrow evening (September 13). According to the King’s Harbour Master shipping movements, she will be sailing away from the NAB tower at 12.30pm - alongside a tug escort.

Shipping transit will then be limited from 6.30pm so the carrier can sail into the harbour. The 65,000 tonne carrier will then travel to the Outer Spit Buoy at 7.30pm, before heading towards the Victory Jetty at 8.10pm - where is expected to be seen sailing past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth.

The carrier has been completing a training regime of boat drills and navigation exercises involving Chinook helicopters this week - as part of her scheme of Operational Sea Training. This involves work up exercises to make sure the £3.2bn vessel and her crew are ready for any future operations. Training packages can involve everything which the carrier can have at its disposal, including Merlin helicopters and F-35 fighter jets.

It has been an emotional time for the ship’s company. Lt Rhodri Leyshon, 31 - one of the fleet’s top helicopter instructors - tragically passed away last week after a helicopter ditched in the English Channel during night flying exercises. Two other people were hospitalised after being rescued.

The lieutenant's family said: "Rhod was so immeasurably loved by his parents, siblings, partner, friends and family and he was devoted to them. Our lives will never be the same without him. We are all so very proud of the talented, passionate, strong and loyal man he was. We will always have him in our hearts. Our wonderful boy. The family request privacy at this extremely painful time.”