King Charles III flew to the aircraft carrier on board a Royal Navy Merlin HM2 direct from his Sandringham Estate, where he recently hosted President Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
The King’s visit to the ship was scheduled as its crew prepares for the upcoming Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG 25) deployment, which will see HMS Prince of Wales lead a naval task force to the Indo-Pacific and back later this year. F-35B Lightnings, alongside various helicopter types, have been operating from the ship as it traveled around UK waters since departing HMNB Portsmouth on Feb. 24, 2025.
Transported to the ship by a Merlin HM2 helicopter, the King’s presence on board the aircraft gave it a chance to fly under a unique callsign – ‘Excalibur 1R’. Excalibur is a regular callsign for Merlins of 824 Naval Air Squadron, but it is a rarity to hear the ‘1R’ (spoken as ‘1 Romeo’) after any callsign other than those usually used for Royal transport. The R denotes a Royal flight, as per the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This was, according to Forces News, the first visit by a reigning monarch to a Royal Navy warship while at sea for almost 40 years.
The visit mirrors one made by the late Queen Elizabeth II to HMS Queen Elizabeth (named for Elizabeth I, and prior Royal Navy ships, rather than the then Monarch) ahead of its similar CSG 2021 deployment. Though, for that visit, the ship was alongside in port at the time, and the Queen arrived using one of the Royal Family’s privately owned Sikorsky S-76 helicopters.
Some images just in from the King’s visit today on board HMS Prince of Wales – which is at sea ahead of its deployment next month.
📷 @RoyalNavy https://t.co/9jIZP6a4Cb pic.twitter.com/jzTNzlMB5Q
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) March 4, 2025
Wearing a military uniform denoting his rank and status as Admiral of the Fleet, the King toured the warship and spoke to a number of serving personnel. The tour included a visit to the bridge, flight deck, and the ship’s vast hangar. Charles has held the rank of Admiral of the Fleet since 2012, when he was Prince of Wales. Though this rank is bestowed due to his status in the Royal Family, the King did serve for several years in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.
After qualifying as a pilot in the Royal Air Force, Charles switched to the Royal Navy and served as an officer aboard several warships before completing a training course as a Wessex helicopter pilot with 845 Naval Air Squadron. He ended his active military career as Commanding Officer of the minesweeper HMS Bronington, but continued to pilot aircraft until 1994 when he was involved in an incident with a Queen’s Flight BAe 146.
HM the King visited @HMSPWLS at sea today.
He met members of the ship’s company undergoing #CSG25 pre-deployment training in the South Coast Exercise Areas. (Photos to follow)
In 1977 he flew in a Buccaneer jet from @RNASCuldrose to land on HMS Ark Royal in the Channel.
H/T… pic.twitter.com/cRsftHkLHX
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) March 4, 2025
Captain Will Blackett, Commanding Officer of HMS Prince of Wales, said the King’s visit was a great honour and a source of morale for the crew, and that he “was able to show him firsthand that HMS Prince of Wales is at high readiness, standing by to deliver for the UK when ordered.”
The exact departure date for the CSG 25 deployment is unknown, but it has recently been confirmed that Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen and replenishment vessel HNoMS Maud will be attached to the group. CSG 21 saw participation from a Royal Netherlands Navy frigate and a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer. Foreign warships joining carrier groups is a regular practice, even for U.S. Navy carrier groups.
A visit to Japan is known to be planned, and the task group will undoubtedly stop in dozens more countries on its way to and from Asia. A total of 24 F-35B Lightnings, all operated by the UK, are due to be embarked, alongside Merlin helicopters for anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning, and general utility.
Zelenskyy’s Flying Visit
Amid worldwide controversy surrounding the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, the Ukrainian leader immediately followed his U.S. trip with a stop in the United Kingdom.
Arriving into London Stansted Airport on the Ukrainian Government Airbus A319, Zelenskyy’s first port of call was London, where he visited Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street before joining a summit of European leaders at Lancaster House.
Following the summit, Zelenskyy boarded a Royal Air Force Puma HC2 helicopter at the nearby Wellington Barracks and flew directly from Central London to Sandringham House where he was greeted by King Charles III. Sandringham is a personal residence owned privately by the Royal Family, and has not too often been used to host visits by foreign heads of state.
BREAKING: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just departed London by helicopter, en route to meet the King.
Latest: https://t.co/ntiNusumbR
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/QJukJBoQiE
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 2, 2025
This was something of a final moment in the spotlight for the Puma, which is due to be retired from Royal Air Force service by the end of March 2025. Suggestions were made following the announcement of upcoming retirements that some of these withdrawn platforms may be suitable for donation to Ukraine, although no official word has come of this so far. The Puma, if included in a future military aid deal, would be the second helicopter type sent to Ukraine by the United Kingdom following a number of former Royal Navy Sea Kings.
