First sea trials for second aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales of British Navy.

The second of the UK’s new aircraft carriers, HMS Prince of Wales, has sailed for the first time. Eight years after she was laid down – and two after her sister HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from the very same site – the 65,000-tonne warship left the basin at Rosyth Dockyard on the Forth, ready to begin sea trials.

New British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has sailed from Rosyth Dockyard for the first time. (Picture source British Royal Navy)

When she passes beneath the three iconic Forth crossings – lowering her main mast to do so – and strikes out into the North Sea, it means the two largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy will be at sea simultaneously.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently in the North Atlantic preparing for operational training with UK F-35B Lightning jets for the first time – paving the way for front-line duties by Prince of Wales just a few years from now.

HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier is one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK. Her flight deck is 70 metres wide and 280 metres long – enough space for three football pitches – and she holds 45 days’ worth of food in stores.

The HMS Prince of Wale will have a crew complement (minimum crew) of around 700, increasing to around 1,600 with aircraft onboard. HMS Prince of Wales’ size and scope is awe-inspiring – she can embark 36 F-35B and four Merlin Helicopters.