Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth to leave Portsmouth after flagship makes glorious return - when, times

HMS Queen Elizabeth will be leaving the city and sailing past The Round Tower tomorrow afternoon (September 2). As listed on the King’s Harbour Master (KHM) shipping movements, the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier is due to leave the Victory Jetty at 12.10pm.

She will then proceed to the NAB Tower, with a police vessel and tug escort, at 1.20pm. Jubilant crowds of well-wishers packed Old Portsmouth and lined up along the Hot Walls to welcome sailors home on July 30. Before her arrival, HMS Queen Elizabeth was in Rosyth, Scotland - where she was built - so engineers could carry out repairs.

Personnel worked hard to fix the £3.2bn vessel for several months after a propeller shaft misalignment fault was discovered in February. She was in the dry dock for an extended period of time so repairs and upgrades could be made.

Before returning to HMNB Portsmouth, the carrier sailed alongside the Isle of Wight for the Cowes Week regatta. She exchanged gun salutes with the Royal Yacht Squadron. Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Captain Will King, previously said: “Whilst no warship wants to find itself spending unscheduled time out of the water, I am enormously proud of the work that has gone on in Rosyth. Everybody on board is looking forward to getting back to sea, where we belong, and picking up a busy programme in the autumn.”