Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth return to Portsmouth from Germany rescheduled after late change - when

HMS Queen Elizabeth was originally booked to make her way to HMNB Portsmouth this morning (November 28) at around 9.35am, according to a previous entry in the King’s Harbour Master Shipping Movements. After being announced at midday yesterday, the entry was scrubbed from the shipping movements.

This has now been updated and the 65,000 tonne carrier will now sail towards the Victory Jetty at 9.55pm, travelling past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth shortly beforehand. She will be accompanied by a Pilot & Tug Escort and MoD Police vessels.

The £3.2bn warship spent last week in Hamburg, Germany - hosting high-ranking officials shortly after a major diplomatic security deal was signed between the European nation and the UK. The UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement is a sign of the Government’s attempts to forge closer relations with European allies, with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to renew relations with the European Union’s key players.

A wider treaty is expected to be signed next year, with the Nato allies developing long-range strike weapons that can travel further than the UK’s existing Storm Shadow missiles, as well as new aerial and land-based drones.

German tabloid Bild reported that a drone was seen to be following HMS Queen Elizabeth at the port entrance, with an unidentified 1.5-by-1.5metre aircraft shadowing her on November 22. The publication said German military tried to target the drone with HP-47 jammers before it flew away.

Other un-crewed aircraft was seen flying over US airbases in Suffolk. Lord Vernon Coaker, Labour, confirmed that a criminal probe is underway to find those responsible. The ship’s company spent their time carrying out flying training and boat drills to endorse new Coxwains on board on November 26.