Page 86 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017

84 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
Allied and Affiliated
HMS Prince of Wales
HMS Prince of Wales was formally named in Rosyth, Scot- land on Friday 8th September 2017 by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rothesay, the title used in Scotland for the Duch- ess of Cornwall. Watched by her husband, the Duke of Rothesay and Britain’s most senior sailor, the Duchess of Rothesay trig- gered the release of a bottle of ten year old whiskey from the Laphroaig distillery on the Isle of Islay, smashing it against the ship’s hull formally naming the 65000 tonne aircraft carrier: “I name this ship Prince of Wales. May God bless her and all who serve in her.”
The ceremony was also witnessed by several veterans who served in the previous HMS Prince of Wales, a King George V class battleship which was sunk in 1941, ensuring that the future of the Royal Navy is informed by the past. The Royal Lancers sup- ported the naming ceremony by bringing a Scimitar and provid- ing personnel to line the Flight Deck and the Dock.
The future Commanding Officer, Captain Steve Moorhouse who was previously in charge of the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and frigate HMS Lancaster was in attendance at the ceremony. Captain Moorhouse said: “Seeing our sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth make her debut in Portsmouth last month was an amazing sight and I look forward to one day bringing HMS Prince of Wales home to the same warm welcome. Until then, the ship’s company in Rosyth will continue to grow and they have much to be proud of in all the work they have done so far, working with our civilian industry partners to bring this ship to life.”
On Wednesday 18th October 2017 Major Alex Bowie and Cap- tain Alex Humphreys visited Rosyth Royal Dockyard for a tour onboard HMS Prince of Wales prior to attending the Trafalgar Night Mess Dinner in MoD Caledonia, Rosyth. The Guest of Honour was The Honourable Commodore Michael Cochrane OBE whose ancestors had served with Lord Nelson during the Napoleonic Wars.
Prior to Christmas Leave, on the 18th December 2018, the sluic- es were opened and water gradually filled the dry dock. HMS Prince of Wales floated for the first time in her life and became a ship after sitting on the dock blocks for three years. At this stage, the carrier was 3000 tonnes heavier than her sister, as con- struction and fitting out had moved more swiftly thanks to the lessons learnt building HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Affiliates from 27 Squadron RAF, The Royal Lancers and the Welsh Guards line the dock
A few days later on the 21st December 2018, HMS Prince of Wales was moved from the dry dock into the tidal basin and onto J/K Berth. Crew and engineers from the Aircraft Carrier Alli- ance monitored the process throughout, while a flotilla of tugs moved the leviathan the short distance to her new berth. Origi- nally planned for 2018, the ‘undocking’ of the ship took place ahead of schedule and just three months after the carrier was officially named by HRH the Duchess of Rothesay.
The next milestone in the ship’s life will be the first running up of the generators and gas turbines and in doing so, bringing the ship to life. These milestones are earmarked for the middle of 2018, followed by sea trials in 2019.
JCB
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rothesay naming the Ship.
Naming Ceremony Guard