King makes rare trip to Royal Navy warship at sea
The King recalled his 'formative and fondest memories' of his naval service as he became the first monarch to visit a Royal Navy warship at sea in almost 40 years.
His Majesty flew by helicopter to HMS Prince of Wales in the Channel as it prepared for a major deployment to Japan.
The King told sailors gathered in the hangar that he took 'immense pride' in all who had brought the vessel to life 'with such indomitable spirit' and spoke of his 'enduring respect' for the Navy.
As Prince of Wales, the King served with the Royal Navy from 1971 until 1976, rising to command minesweeper HMS Bronington before returning to royal duties.
'My own time at sea… remains one of the most formative, and fondest, experiences of my life,' the King said, adding that he could still 'vividly recall' his first deck landings on HMS Hermes, moments which left 'an indelible impression'.
To mark the visit, Buckingham Palace released black and white photographs of the monarch, then Prince Charles, in 1977, when he flew in a Buccaneer jet to HMS Ark Royal.
The King first visited HMS Prince of Wales in June 2016, while it was under construction at Rosyth Dockyard. He accompanied the Queen when she officially named the vessel the following September and again when it was formally commissioned in 2019.
On Tuesday, the monarch was shown around the 65,000-tonne ship before watching as F-35B fighter jets carried out landing exercises on the deck of the Portsmouth-based carrier.
He visited in his role as the Honorary Commodore-in-Chief Aircraft Carriers, the first reigning monarch to visit a Royal Navy warship at sea since Elizabeth II made the short trip from Rosyth to Leith on minehunter HMS Brocklesby in 1988.
The trip came during the closing stages of crew's intensive training before setting sail for Japan in April on a mission to deepen the UK's defence partnerships and promote security and stability.
The King told personnel gathered in the hangar: 'As you prepare to set sail as the flagship of the UK Carrier Strike Group, building on the success of HMS Queen Elizabeth's inaugural deployment in 2021, I just wanted to express, on behalf of the nation, my heartfelt gratitude for the extraordinarily valuable contributions and personal sacrifices that you and your families continue to make in the name of duty.
'I can sense the anticipation and excitement amongst many of you today for what lies ahead over the next eight months and all I can say is I will be watching your progress with great interest.'
The monarch arrived from Sandringham by Royal Navy Merlin helicopter and was joined aboard by Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord and head of the Royal Navy, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the Royal Air Force.
Capt Will Blackett, HMS Prince of Wales's commanding officer, said: 'It was a great honour to host His Majesty onboard today. I was able to show him first hand that HMS Prince of Wales is at high readiness, standing by to deliver for the UK when ordered.
'His visit was a great source of morale for my excellent ship's company and we look forward to doing him proud in all our endeavours this year.'
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