Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales fails to depart UK to lead Nato exercise in Norway

The departure of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been cancelled at the last moment.

People lined the walls of Portsmouth Harbour to watch the 65,000-tonne warship leave on Sunday to lead the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War, involving more than 40 vessels.

But after Ministry of Defence police boats had secured the area and the harbour mouth was closed to traffic – the normal protocol for the departure of a carrier – the channel was reopened and HMS Prince of Wales failed to leave the jetty.

It is unclear if the sailing was cancelled before the carrier was set to leave or whether it had made its first movements from the jetty at Portsmouth Naval Base.

The fleet flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth had been expected to depart from Portsmouth Naval Base last Sunday but the sailing of the £3 billion warship was called off at the last minute after an “issue” was found in final checks with the starboard propeller coupling.

The setback came 18 months after HMS Prince of Wales broke down off the Isle of Wight, when it also suffered a malfunction with a coupling on its starboard propeller.

Since the cancellation was announced, the crew and base workers have been busily preparing the HMS Prince of Wales to take over its sister ship’s role in Exercise Steadfast Defender – which will take place off Norway.

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