Royal Navy: Why HMS Queen Elizabeth left Portsmouth after short return from Scotland

By Freddie Webb

Trainee Reporter

Published 4th Sep 2024, 16:23 BST
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The Royal Navy has confirmed why the force’s flagship left Portsmouth earlier this week.

HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from HMNB Portsmouth on Monday (September 2). Well-wishers gathered at The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth and other parts of the city to watch her depart.

Habibur Rahman

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said the 65,000 tonne vessel is carrying out routine tasking. She returned to Portsmouth in July following repairs carried out in Rosyth, Scotland. The £3.2bn carrier suffered from a propeller shaft misalignment fault in February before a planned Nato deployment where she would lead a UK Carrier Strike Group during Exercise Steadfast Defender - the largest Nato operation since The Cold War.

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Since then, the carrier has been carrying out a programme of activities. HMS Queen Elizabeth also saw maintenance work and upgrades while she was docked.

Her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, left Portsmouth earlier today - also on routine tasking. The carrier previously visited the munitions jetty in Glen Mallan, Scotland, to resupply.

Related topics:HMS Prince of WalesHMS Queen ElizabethRoyal NavyHampshire

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