Ferry passengers were treated to a rare spectacle as a huge Royal Navy warship sailed past their vessel in the English Channel.
Chris Joy was on board P&O Ferries’ P&O Liberté on Sunday when HMS Queen Elizabeth appeared nearby, drawing gasps and photo-taking from onlookers.
He told KentOnline: “It was a rare sighting and everyone was taking pictures.”
Mr Joy captured photos of the warship as it passed close to the ferry during its journey.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the aircraft carrier was sailing from Portsmouth, where it had recently undergone maintenance, en route to Rosyth, Scotland, for the next phase of its upkeep.
The second phase will involve dry-dock work to inspect and improve areas that cannot be accessed while afloat.
Captain Claire Thompson, commanding officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, said: “The departure of HMS Queen Elizabeth from Portsmouth marks the end of one phase of our upkeep period and the beginning of another.”
The 284-metre-long vessel, which officially entered service in 2020, is one of the most powerful ships in the Royal Navy and can carry up to 60 aircraft and 250 troops. It has nine decks below the flight deck.
In recent years, HMS Queen Elizabeth has led NATO operations in European waters and completed a major deployment to the Indo-Pacific in 2021.
