After ‘eight magical days’ at Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales departed the Mersey on Monday afternoon amid spectacular fireworks display. Tony McDonough reports

HMS Prince of Wales departed the Mersey to a spectacular fireworks display on Monday afternoon after what was described as “eight magical days” at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

She arrived in the river on Sunday, December 1, a day earlier than planned due to poor weather. And the weather remained a feature of the visit with Storm Darragh scuppering plans to welcome 10,000 members of the public on board on Saturday.

It was so windy that despite the 18 ropes and hawsers, lowered anchor and tug support, the enormous carrier still gave the impression of moving at her jetty. The weather eased on Sunday allowing thousands of people to board. The ship was last here in March 2020.

Liverpool is one of the few non-Royal Naval ports which can accommodate the aircraft carrier’s 65,000 gross tonnes bulk, 284m (932ft) length, 11m (36ft) draft and flight-deck (the size of three football pitches) with its huge 17m (55ft) overhang either side of the hull.

This huge Royal Navy vessel and her 800-strong crew have just taken over from her sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, as the UK’s new flagship and will lead a UK Carrier Strike Group mission to the Suez Canal early in 2025.

Last Friday she was awarded the Freedom of the City at what was described as a “moving” ceremony at Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady and St Nicholas), close to the waterfront.

Commanding officer, Captain Will Blackett said: “It’s the formal recognition of a really important link between the ship and the city, but there’s been a link between the Royal Navy and the city for hundreds of years.

“So it’s just the next chapter in a story of duty, both by the city and by the ship and it’s a real privilege to be part of it.”

Ahead of the public tours Sea, Air Army and Combined Cadets were allowed on board for a tour. Many had set off long before dawn from across northern England and northern Midlands.

Emerging from the security hut gave the youngsters their first glimpse of the carrier, prompting loud “woos” from excited cadets.

“Just being on a ship is cool,” said 13-year-old William from Wakefield – one of ten Sea Cadets from West Yorkshire invited to represent their units, while cadets from TS Galloway in Preston were challenged to decipher ten acronyms by their bosses. 

Luckily there were stances and displays hosted by every department on board to unpick such conundrums.

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“This is my first time on a ship and it’s been great,” said 12-year-old James. His friend Thomas, also 12, added: “The size of the ship and the equipment aboard is just amazing.” 

Other youngsters were occupied hurling balls to knock bricks out of a virtual wall. More mature visitors tried their hand at rowing 500m courtesy of the carrier’s gym machines.