The flagship of the Royal Navy has set sail from her home base to prepare for a landmark deployment to the other side of the world.
Well-wishers gathered to wave off HMS Prince of Wales as she left Portsmouth Naval Base.
The 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier is taking part in pre-deployment training ahead of spearheading a group of warships in the Indo-Pacific.
The £3.5bn warship will lead a task group known as a Carrier Strike Group and will take part in exercises with partners and allies in the region.
Ministers say the deployment will also promote a “free and open Indo-Pacific” which has seen a rise in tensions in recent years.
During the deployment, HMS Prince of Wales will visit Japan and Australia, becoming the first of the Navy’s two Queen-Elizabeth class carriers to visit Down Under.
The ship and her crew will also take part in a major multinational exercise hosted by Australia involving 19 nations.
A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “The Royal Navy’s flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, left Portsmouth today for pre-deployment training and collecting stores.
“This is part of the ongoing preparation for the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployment taking place later this year.”
The deployment is set to last around seven months and will see fifth-generation F-35B stealth fighter jets embarked on the carrier.
A ship from NATO ally Norway will be part of the Carrier Strike Group for what is being described as a “historic deployment” by Defence Secretary John Healey.
HMS Prince of Wales is the newest of the UK’s two aircraft carriers and assumed the role of flagship in December.
The aircraft carrier is Britain’s biggest warship, with a flight deck that’s 280 metres long and 70 metres wide – roughly the size of three football pitches.
She can carry up to 72 aircraft, including a maximum of 36 F-35Bs.