HMS PRINCE OF WALES AWARDED THE FREEDOM OF BRISTOL

In recognition of service and the unique relationship with Bristol, councillors have awarded His Majesty’s Ship Prince of Wales has been awarded the freedom of the city.

The honour, when conferred on a military unit, grants that unit the privilege of marching into the city "with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed”.

The City and County of Bristol has been affiliated with HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) since 2016, an honour shared with Liverpool, and it’s a relationship that will last for 50 years. This relationship was re-affirmed by the council at a ceremony in Bristol City Hall (Tuesday 14 March 2023) where the freedom of the city was accepted by Captain Richard Hewitt OBE, on behalf of the Royal Navy and the ship’s company.

PWLS is a fifth-generation aircraft carrier, one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK and its role includes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and diplomacy.

Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Paula O’Rourke, said:

“I am delighted to have the honour of awarding HMS Prince of Wales the Freedom of the City. Our affiliation with the ship and its crew is one we care about deeply and we hope that this honour serves as a reminder of the close bond we share with HMS Prince of Wales. As a proud naval city with a long maritime tradition, it’s a particularly special privilege to be able to honour members of His Majesty’s Naval Service with Bristol’s highest civic award. As we give thanks to all those who serve on board HMS Prince of Wales and our wider armed forces, I very much look forward to welcoming the ship’s crew back to the city later this year.”

Captain Richard Hewitt OBE, Commanding Officer HMS Prince of Wales, said: “This important ceremony represents a true friendship between HMS Prince of Wales and the City of Bristol. Being granted the Freedom of the City of Bristol is a huge and significant honour for us. Bristol has an industrious maritime heritage and I know our sailors are looking forward to exercising the Freedom of the City. This will support the continued strong relationships between generations of Royal Navy sailors in HMS Prince of Wales and the City of Bristol over the next 50 years.”

Since first being awarded to His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward, First son of His Royal Highness Prince of Wales, in July 1888, the Freedom of the City has been bestowed upon sixty six individuals and military units.

Honorary Captain Mrs Peaches Golding OBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of The County and City of Bristol, said:

“This ceremony and the awarding of the Freedom of the City are potent symbols of the close ties that exist between Bristol and our nation’s armed forces. Bristol has a long and proud history of affiliation with our nation’s armed forces, a tradition that has seen eight previous units receive the Freedom of the City. My thanks go to Captain Hewitt and his ship’s company for their continued service to His Majesty The King and our nation and to my fellow members of the HMS Prince of Wales Affiliation Board for their continuing efforts to support our affiliation with the ship and its crew.”

Councillor Helen Holland, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Armed Forces Champion for Bristol City Council, said: “Our relationship to the armed forces through our history is a visible part of the city’s heritage and identity. Bristol is the proud home to a number of reserve units across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force and over 9,000 veterans. As the council’s Armed Forces Champion, I am delighted to able to honour HMS Prince of Wales and her crew with the Freedom of the City. We will continue to work together with the ship’s company and partners to ensure the strength of our relationship continues to benefit the city and our local veterans.”

Bristol related activities with the ship are managed and overseen by the HMS Prince of Wales Affiliation Board. The Board is led by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant as president and made up of business representatives and other organisations, including Cabinet Member Councillor Helen Holland as the council’s Armed Forces Champion.

Several visits have taken place to the ship by members of the Affiliation Board over the last few years and there are plans to build relationships with local schools to promote STEM and sport. The Affiliation Board has worked with the ship to decorate it’s Bristol Suite (there’s also a Liverpool Suite), and the ship’s crest is displayed in the foyer of City Hall.

Representatives of the ship’s company support Bristol’s Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service and the White Ensign has been blessed by Bristol Cathedral and laid up to mark the affiliation.