Hundreds of servicemen and women will march through the centre of Bristol next month - as the Royal Navy’s latest and largest warship is granted the Freedom of the City. Three hundred sailors and Royal Marines will parade through the city centre on Saturday, June 10, in recognition of the 50-year link between Bristol and HMS Prince of Wales.
The ship is a fifth-generation aircraft carrier and one of the most powerful surface warships ever built in the UK, with additional roles that includes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and diplomacy. HMS Prince of Wales weighs in at 65,000 tonnes with a crew of over 700. And with her flight deck that measures 280 metres long and 70 metres wide, she can accommodate 36 fighter jets and four Merlin helicopters.
The City and County of Bristol has been affiliated with the ship since 2016, an honour shared with Liverpool, and the relationship will last for 50 years. The link was re-affirmed in March this year, when the Freedom of the City was accepted by Captain Richard Hewitt OBE, on behalf of the Royal Navy and the ship’s company.
