LATEST: When is HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth?

The Royal Navy’s plan for the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier is for her to leave the city at some point this week - though pinpointing when she will leave is uncertain.

Speculation had been rife that the warship would be leaving yesterday, however, this was promptly dismissed and it remains ‘unlikely’ that the vessel will leave before Friday at the earliest.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy confirmed the ship would not sail today and that while it was unlikely she would sail tomorrow, it is unconfirmed at this stage.

An official previously told our sister paper The News: “Following a successful engineering period HMS Queen Elizabeth is in the final stages of readiness to undertake the second phase of her sea trials.

“She will sail from Portsmouth when we can ensure a safe exit. A number of factors will determine when we sail, including the weather conditions in Portsmouth.

“We plan to sail later this week when we can ensure a safe exit.”