Queen welcomed by flag-waving children as she arrives to decommission Britain’s biggest warship before it is sold off to Brazil for £84m
HMS Ocean most recently carried out humanitarian work in the Caribbean following the effects of Hurricane Irma in British Overseas Territories
THE Queen has formally decommissioned one of Britain's biggest warships during a military ceremony in Plymouth.
HMS Ocean, or the Mighty O as she is known throughout the fleet, has been sold to the Brazilian navy for £84million.
The warship most recently carried out humanitarian work in the Caribbean following the effects of Hurricane Irma in British Overseas Territories.
The helicopter and amphibious assault craft has also been involved in operations off Sierra Leone in 2000, Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011.
HMS Ocean entered service in 1998 and has since covered more than 450,000 nautical miles.
Until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers, she remained the largest warship in the Navy's surface fleet.
The Queen arrived at Plymouth Railway Station in Devon by royal train and travelled by car to HMNB Devonport, where there was a 21 gun salute.
Captain Robert Pedre, the commanding officer of HMS Ocean, presented Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord, and Commodore Ian Shipperly, the Naval Base Commander, to the Queen.
Following the ceremony the Queen - the ship's Lady Sponsor - said a few words.
The Queen went onboard the ship for lunch, before she met with families and ship personnel and left by car.
There was a 21 gun salute as the Queen leaves Devonport.
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