Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to Portsmouth after historic sea trials with families full of pride for relatives onboard

The 65,000 tonne ship embarked on a Nato exercise in the North Sea on September 21.

Now, the warship has returned to her home city, sailing past the Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at midday.

Among well-wishers in Old Portsmouth was Rugby resident Timothy Kyte, whose daughter is serving onboard HMS Prince of Wales – two years after she first saw one of the new aircraft carriers with her father.

Timothy, who served for five years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, said: ‘The first time HMS Queen Elizabeth went out, we watched her leave from Spinnaker Tower – it was a great view.

‘I said to Lauren, ‘one day you might be on one of them’.

‘She was 18 at the time – now she’s 21 and serving onboard HMS Prince of Wales.’

He added: ‘She loves it. She’s wanted to be in the Royal Navy since she was six years old.

‘We’re very, very proud.’

Also at the Round Tower was USA citizen Heather Boyd, who turned out to greet the warship as it returns with her husband on board.

The 43-year-old said: ‘My spouse is in the US Navy and he’s training sailors on board – he’s said everyone has been really lovely.

‘We’re both really happy to see him work alongside the Royal Navy.’

The couple moved to Southsea from the United States three years ago and have ‘fallen in love with the city’.

Heather added: ‘ We love it – the people, the history, everything.

‘We would love to stay here.’

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HMS Queen Elizabeth has spent the last four weeks taking part in a Nato exercise, alongside personnel from the US and Dutch navies.

This exercise saw her complete a number of firsts, including the first time the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group has assembled.

It also marked the first time that two squadrons of F-35B stealth jets have deployed to the aircraft carrier, the largest number of warplanes to ever embark on a British warship in almost 40 years.

HMS Queen Elizabeth will deploy on her maiden mission in early 2021.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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