Despite having such high-profile visitors, it was very much business as usual for the Royal Navy’s sailors.

The UK’s King Charles III has the distinction of having held the title of “Prince of Wales” for more than 64 years—making him the longest-serving Prince of Wales, as well as the oldest person to have held the position. He was still Prince Charles when the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales entered service in December 2019.

On Tuesday, however, King Charles visited the carrier in the English Channel via helicopter as the warship—the UK’s naval flagship—prepares for her first “major global deployment to the Indo-Pacific” later this spring, the Royal Navy announced. The UK’s senior service flew to the carrier as the flattop completed “intensive training” in advance of the deployment that will see HMS Prince of Wales head to Japan.

The Royal Navy described the mission as one “that will deepen the UK’s defence partnerships and promote security and stability,” while the visit was the first time in nearly four decades that the country’s reigning monarch had visited a warship at sea. It further served to emphasize the significance of the Indo-Pacific mission—only the second time in the 21st century that a British carrier traveled “East of Suez.”  

The late Queen Elizabeth II had made a similar visit to HMS Queen Elizabeth in advance of the carrier’s global deployment, but that was while the warship was docked in Portsmouth. She had previously visited the Royal Navy’s minehunter HMS Brocklesby at sea in 1988, while accompanied by her husband HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Commodore-in-Chief of Aircraft Carriers

King Charles III, who became monarch in September 2022 upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, arrived on the vessel on Tuesday afternoon—donning the uniform of the Commodore-in-Chief of Aircraft Carriers, one of several “honorary” military titles he currently holds.

The king was accompanied by First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, the head of the Royal Navy, as well as the chief of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton.

Business as Usual for the HMS Prince of Wales

Despite having such high-profile visitors, it was very much business as usual for the Royal Navy’s sailors deployed on the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier. King Charles was able to watch one of the vessel’s Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning jets (the UK’s designation for the multirole fighter) operate from the flight deck.

“A day to remember, hosting the Commodore-in-Chief Aircraft Carriers,” noted the official social media account for HMS Prince of Wales, while sharing a photo of the king meeting with the crew. The Royal Family’s account also noted that it was almost 50 years ago that the then Prince Charles “flew in a Buccaneer jet to HMS Ark Royal from Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton.”

Though he was an experienced pilot at the time, as Prince of Wales he flew in the rear seat of the jet, with Lieutenant Commander Tony Morton, the Commanding Officer of 809 Naval Air Squadron “The Immortals,” at the controls. It was noteworthy that the very same squadron was recommissioned, and now operates the F-35B, and will be embarked on the carrier along with the 617 Squadron “Dambusters” in the upcoming deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

“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,” the King told the sailors gathered on HMS Prince of Wales’ hanger.

“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,” he added.

Before completing his visit to HMS Prince of Wales, the king had time to meet with sailors, and discuss their shared interest in football (soccer), among other topics.

“It was the proudest day of my life since joining the Royal Navy,” said Able Seaman Marc Rutherford. “I’m still in shock, he was funny and I was surprised he would support a team like Burnley—Newcastle would be much better.”

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Shutterstock / Rob Atherton.

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