The warship is currently in drydock in Rosyth, Scotland following a propeller shaft misalignment fault and has been there since March after the fault was discovered just before she was due to leave the city to take part in Exercise Steadfast Defender - Nato’s largest operation since The Cold War. A faulty coupling, discovered on the starboard propeller shaft in February, threw a spanner in the works to those plans, stopping her from going to the North Sea and working alongside allied warships and other units, as well as Exercise Joint Warrior. Her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales was instead dispatched in her place.
So while we wait for news of how the repair work is progressing we look back at some of her previous adventures around the globe – and a bit closer to home:
25. HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth's Ship's Company watches HM Queen Elizabeth II funeral live in their Mess decks while deployed in September 2022 while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the time difference, ship's company got up early to watch it as they were in North America. Photo: MOD
26. HMS Queen Elizabeth
On September 9 2022 the Royal Navy's flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth carried out a 96 gun salute on the occasion of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was the ship's Lady Sponsor, commissioning the ship into the fleet in December 2017. Photo: LPhot Kevin Walton
27. HMS Queen Elizabeth
In July 2022 HMS Queen Elizabeth hosted a unique ‘garden party’ in her hangar hundreds of veterans of the Falklands conflict. They joined the ship’s company on board the aircraft carrier in Portsmouth Naval Base for a relaxed celebration and ‘thank you’ for their efforts in liberating the South Atlantic islands 40 years ago. Photo: LPhot Belinda Alker
28. HMS Queen Elizabeth
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Glen Mallan in Loch Long with the Arrochar Alps behind. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Photo: Andrew Milligan