HMS Queen Elizabeth Crew Honored in Edinburgh | Edinburgh News

0:00It's September 18th. From your city to your ears, this is Edinburgh News today, powered by AI. Alright, so this Friday morning, you're going to see about 250 members of the HMS Queen Elizabeth crew, marching up the Royal Mile in. Edinburgh, they've been given the freedom of the city, which is a pretty big honor. Think of it like a formal thank you and recognition for their service. And get this, to mark the occasion, an F-35 fighter jet is scheduled to do a flyover of the city just after 10.30 a.m. So if you're in the area, keep an eye on the sky. The sailors will be stepping off from the palace of Holy Root House, all dressed in their ceremonial best, with the Royal Marines band leading the way. They'll be making their way to the city chambers, where the Lord Provost will inspect the ship's company. After some brief speeches, the crew will head over to St. John's Cathedral. That's where they'll give us a loot to the Lord Provost, and Captain Claire Thompson, who's the commanding officer of the HMS Queen Elizabeth.

1:01Now, this ship is a beast, by the way, it's one of the biggest vessels in the Royal Navy, and can carry up to 40 F-35 aircraft. The ship itself just sail from Port Smith on September 4th and is currently out in the Clyde near Garak. The crew of 800 sailors and the 65,000-ton warship will be spending the next few months training for future operations. It's a pretty significant moment for the city and the Royal Navy.