Woman left red-faced after confusing aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth with monarch

SNP supporter is left red-faced when she demands to know why HMS Queen Elizabeth is allowed to visit Scotland – only to be told it is the aircraft carrier, not the monarch

  • Twitter user Kerry Newton confused Police’s message about aircraft carrier thinking it was about the Queen
  • Ms Newton questioned why the Queen was allowed to visit west coast of Scotland during the latest lockdown
  • Police Scotland’s message was actually about the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth visiting the area 

Advertisement


An SNP supporter has been left red-faced after confusing aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth with the Queen herself.

After Police Scotland warned people about restrictions in place while the HMS Queen Elizabeth was in the area, Kerry Newton took to Twitter to question why the Queen was allowed into Scotland given current coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The Police’s tweet read: ‘Please be advised that for the duration that the HMS Queen Elizabeth is visiting Glen Mallan, no aircraft are allowed to fly within three nautical miles of the ship and below 6,000ft within the three nautical mile radius.’

The HMS Queen Elizabeth, an aircraft carrier, was mistaken for the Queen by a confused Twitter user after Police Scotland warned people in the community of Glenmallan that there were restrictions in place while the ship was in the area

The awkward Twitter exchange

Twitter user Kerry Newton

Kerry Newton was not alone in mistaking the HMS Queen Elizabeth for the Queen herself but other users were quick to point out her error and assure her the Queen was not breaking lockdown protocol by visiting the west coast of Scotland

Not content with the news, Kerry responded: ‘Why is the Queen visiting anywhere during the pandemic?

‘Can I visit Aberdeen or Cheltenham?’

Kerry, who says she is applying for Scottish citizenship in her Twitter bio, was not alone in the mistake with a handful others also asking why the Queen was allowed to break lockdown restrictions. 

Although the tweet has since been deleted, many were quick to pick up on Kerry’s mistake, with the UK defence journal official account asking: ‘Are you a 65,000 tonne Royal Navy aircraft carrier?’ 

Another Twitter user pointed out: ‘HMS means Her Majesty’s Ship. As a military vessel it can go where it likes during Lockdown. The only constraints are that the water is deep enough.’ 

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, visited western Scotland for the first time yesterday.

The Queen at her home in Windsor speaking to experts and schoolchildren in a virtual event to mark British Science Week

The Queen at her home in Windsor speaking to experts and schoolchildren in a virtual event to mark British Science Week

The fleet flagship arrived at the new Northern Ammunition Jetty at Glen Mallan, in Loch Long, on Monday as part of final preparations before her first operational deployment.

The £3 billion vessel, which was assembled at Rosyth in Fife, has spent the last two weeks at sea testing and trialling her latest equipment. 

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of the Royal Navy’s fleet to visit the new £64 million facility, built at Glen Mallan by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Captain Angus Essenhigh, HMS Queen Elizabeth Commanding Officer, said: ‘We are very proud of the close connection our ship has with Scotland, especially with our affiliated city of Edinburgh.

The £3 bn vessel, which was assembled at Rosyth in Fife, has spent the last two weeks at sea testing and trialling equipment

The £3 bn vessel, which was assembled at Rosyth in Fife, has spent the last two weeks at sea testing and trialling equipment

‘HMS Queen Elizabeth embodies the best of British engineering and craftsmanship, including Scottish shipbuilding, and it is a privilege to return to her birthplace of Scotland.’

This is the first time HMS Queen Elizabeth has visited western Scotland, after she became a familiar sight in the Firth of Forth where she was assembled.

She berthed at the jetty for a routine loading of operational stores. 

HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to sail for Portsmouth at the end of the month, and will deploy to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and East Asia later this year, as part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group.

The 65,000 tonne carrier is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft and is primarily used to launch F35 strike aircraft.

HMS Queen Elizabeth 

HMS Queen Elizabeth

HMS Queen Elizabeth

Best described as: Aircraft carrier

Born: 2014 

Base of operations: Portsmouth

Cost: £3 billion 

Firepower: Anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence system

                       Can carry up to 40 F35 fighter planes

                       Fitted with small calibre automated weapons

 Motto: Semper Eadem (Always the same)

HRH Queen Elizabeth 

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Best described as: Monarch 

Born: 1926 

Base of operations: Windsor

Cost: £67 million a year 

Firepower: Devastating politeness

                       Unshakeable Blitz Spirit

                       The Royal Wave

 Motto: Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)