Queen attends first solo engagement since death of husband Prince Philip
Queen visits Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth as it prepares to sail on its first deployment to the Far-East
22 May 2021 • 1:43pm
The Queen carried out her first solo royal duty since Prince Philip s death today as she was welcomed on board Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen sends the ship on its way
Credit: Steve Parsons
It was the monarch s first official solo appearance in public since the death of her husband on April 9, after being accompanied to the Queen s Speech earlier this month by Prince Charles.
The Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth has set sail for its first operational deployment after the Queen flew onboard to wish the crew well.
Hundreds of people lined the harbour walls to wave off the £3 billion warship as it set off from Portsmouth Naval Base for the 28-week deployment by the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific region which will cover 26,000 nautical miles.
The Queen was welcomed by the ship’s commanding officer Captain Angus Essenhigh, and Commodore Stephen Moorhouse, commander of the UK CSG, after arriving by helicopter while the 65,000 tonne ship was still at base.
She was given a briefing on the deployment which will take the CSG through the Mediterranean to the Red Sea then from the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean to the Philippine Sea.
Queen Elizabeth II has made a quick visit to the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier that bears the name of her eponymous forebear, ahead of its maiden operational deployment
The Queen has visited HMS Queen Elizabeth on Saturday morning ahead of the flagship s 28 deployment
The monarch, 95, arrived by helicopter on board the aircraft carrier at Portsmouth Naval Base for the tour
She donned a rouge button-up jacket and a scarab brooch, which was gifted to her by Duke of Edinburgh
It is her first public appearance since Prince Harry s bombshell comments on Oprah s new Apple TV+ series
The former royal accused monarchy of total neglect , a smear campaign against Meghan and even bullying