HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier has been commissioned today, Thursday 7 December, in a ceremony attended by Her Majesty the Queen.
The Queen boarded the ship and watched the Royal Navy White Ensign raised for the very first time as it enters service with the Royal Navy.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is the Royal Navy’s biggest ever warship and was built using thousands of tonnes of steel made in Scunthorpe.
Paul Martin, British Steel Deputy CEO, said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth is an awesome sight and it’s great to see her commissioned today. Many of our employees in Scunthorpe and Skinningrove played a leading role in making and rolling the steel that has been used in this project. We’re very proud to have played a part in such a remarkable achievement.”
Construction started on the ship at the Rosyth dockyard back in 2009 and was supported by a dedicated project management team to deliver the steel for the ship. At 284m long, HMS Queen Elizabeth has room for 1,600 crew and aircrew, and dozens of jets.
Also attending the ceremony will be Princess Anne and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones. As the ship is formally handed over to the Royal Navy, 20-year-old Able Seaman Ellie Smith from Hull will raise the White Ensign.