HMS Prince of Wales will not be sold, says Navy

The Navy has denied rumours that HMS Prince of Wales will be sold at a knockdown price to raise cash for defence spending.

The denial came after senior naval sources alleged that Britain’s second aircraft carrier was at risk of mothballing after it was revealed that next week’s Budget will not include an increase in military funding.

Sources reportedly told MailOnline that the vessel could be sold to an allied nation as soon as 2028 amid attempts to retain the fleet’s flagship, HMS Queen Elizabeth.

But a Royal Navy spokesman said: “These claims are categorically incorrect. We are fully committed to operating both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.”

The warships were both approved for construction in 2007, costing a combined £7 billion. But in recent years concerns have grown over the UK’s ability to man the 65,000-tonne carriers, with each requiring 700 crew and a solid support ship to operate.

The service currently only has one such ship in its fleet, RFA Fort Victoria, which is set to be retired in 2028.

Naval sources also said “changes in Government and budgets” had placed the “rarely-used equipment” at risk of sale to Australia or the US at a reduced price.

Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, told MailOnline that the Government must adequately fund the Armed Forces or risk Britain becoming “a follower not a leader on the world stage”. He added that the UK had not been contributing to Nato as promised for the past 20 years.

Penny Mordaunt, the MP for Portsmouth North, the location of the country’s largest naval base, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Met with the Chancellor to reiterate what Portsmouth’s families and businesses need to hear in the Budget.

“I discussed the work I’m doing with UK civil reserve and others to deliver a greater return for our defence and contingency budgets and increase capability. Our first duty is to protect our nation and its interests.”

With an expected service life of up to 50 years, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth make up the Royal Navy’s two-part Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier fleet.

Their role in active conflict involves enabling ready to deliver carrier strike missions, enforcing no-fly zones and deploying Royal Marine Commandos.