Royal Navy carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) departed its Portsmouth home port on Monday to participate in a massive NATO exercise in place of carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R09), which was sidelined for repairs. “Britain’s biggest warship today sailed for Norway to lead an international task group in one of the most important military exercises in a generation,” the Royal Navy announced on Monday. The ship’s company made rapid preparations for the carrier to lead the the service’s participation in exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. “I would like to congratulate the crew of HMS Prince of Wales for their hard