The Queen travelled to Portsmouth on Saturday to bid farewell to HMS Queen Elizabeth ahead of its maiden voyage. It marked Her Majesty's second public outing since the death of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, last month.
The monarch, 95, attended the State Opening of Parliament last week, travelling to London for the first time in over six months. The Queen has spent the majority of the past year residing at Windsor Castle amid the pandemic.
READ: The Queen and Prince Charles pictured together to launch new project
WATCH: The Queen makes second public outing since Prince Philip's death
Her Majesty was greeted on board the aircraft carrier by Captain Angus Essenhigh, Commanding Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth and Commodore Stephen Moorhouse.
Back in March 2020 before lockdown, the Queen held an audience at Buckingham Palace with Commodore Stephen Moorhouse and Captain Angus Essenhigh, as the outgoing and incoming commanding officers of the ship.
She looked elegant wearing a red cashmere coat with a velvet collar and underneath she wore a crepe wool dress by Stewart Parvin. The Queen paired her outfit with her beloved Scarab brooch, which was a personal gift from her late husband, a symbolic accessory choice no doubt.
MORE: Prince Charles shares touching childhood photo as he thanks fans following death of Prince Philip
MORE: The Queen's heartbreak as new puppy dies – report
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen wore a brooch from her late husband for the visit
The monarch also met Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines personnel preparing to deploy onboard the ship, as well as some of the 250 United States Marines embarked, who will serve on the operation alongside their UK counterparts.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will lead the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group on a 28-week operational deployment travelling over 26,000 nautical miles from the Mediterranean to the Philippine Sea.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.
