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The Royal Navy flagship, the heart of the UK Carrier Strike Group, made her glorious return to the naval base after arriving at roughly 1.15pm. Spectators lined the jetties to catch a glimpse of their loved ones while onboard, greeting them in memorable fashion when they stepped ashore. It was the largest Royal Navy homecoming in 20 years, with HMS Dauntless and HNoMS Roald Amundsen also arriving in Portsmouth.
Brightly coloured costumes, sentimental banners and glorious flags greeted sailors at HMNB Portsmouth. Hundreds if not thousands of people lined the Hot Walls and packed The Round Tower to see the 80,600 tonne warship. It was a memorable sight for sailors who waved to the spectators after having been away for eight months to the Indo-Pacific.
HMS Prince of Wales left Portsmouth on April 22 as part of Operation Highmast. The deployment saw her conduct huge exercises in Australia, India, Japan, and elsewhere. It was a huge undertaking, as over the course of the mission, upwards of 4,500 British military personnel were involved. This included nearly 600 RAF personnel and 900 soldiers accompanying 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.
British armed forces worked alongside Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the USA. HMS Prince of Wales joined forces with other aircraft carriers on several occasions, including USS George Washington, INS Vikrant, and ITS Cavour.
Below are a selection of pictures from the glorious homecoming. A more detailed report on HMS Prince of Wales’ return can be found here.
1. HMS Prince of Wales returns
HMS Prince of Wales returned home to Portsmouth on Sunday, November 30, 2025, after being deployed to the Indo-Pacific since April. She has been in charge of the UK Carrier Strike Group and headed up various exercises in Japan, Australia, India and elsewhere. It's an emotional moment for sailors, as they they re-join their families in time for Christmas. | Sarah Standing (301125-7603)
2. HMS Prince of Wales returns
HMS Prince of Wales sailing past Spice Island en-route to HMNB Portsmouth. | Alison Treacher
3. Pictured is: (middle) Leading Hand Joseph Mellor was the first sailor to step ashore from HMS Prince of Wales. He was greeted by mum Karen (fifth from left) and the rest of his family.
Pictured is: (middle) Leading Hand Joseph Mellor was the first sailor to step ashore from HMS Prince of Wales. He was greeted by mum Karen (fifth from left) and the rest of his family. | Sarah Standing (301125-3347)
4. HMS Prince of Wales returns
Pictured is: (l-r) Julie O'Donnell and Joanna Slater from North Yorkshire, waiting for Commander David Tinsley. | Sarah Standing (301125-7665)