IT WAS a tale of two princes as the Duke of Rothesay, as he is known in Scotland, visited Rosyth on Tuesday to view one of the largest warships ever made.

The Prince of Wales gave the royal seal of approval to the vessel bearing his title, as well as the order for the final section of the HMS Prince of Wales to be lowered into place.

The warship is the second of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers to be built for the Royal Navy, at a total cost of more than £6 billion, with final assembly at Babcock's yard in Rosyth.

On Prince Charles' signal, a 570-tonne block known as Sponson 11 and containing part of the flight deck, was manoeuvred carefully into position by the Goliath crane.

This will allow the final welding to start and Ian Booth, managing director of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, said: "By the end of July, we will have finished welding the final section together and the ship will be structurally complete, thanks to the commitment, skills and experience of the alliance workforce.

"The team will now embark on the next phase of the ship's construction.

"This involves extensive outfitting, testing and commissioning of her propulsion and mission systems, as the ship is brought to life.

"The ship will then start her harbour trials here in Rosyth before setting off for sea trials in 2019."

The 65,000 tonne carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will provide the armed forces with a four-acre military operating base and each will be able to accommodate up to 40 aircraft.

The warships are being delivered by the alliance, a partnership between BAE Systems, Thales UK, Babcock and the Ministry of Defence.

John Howie, chief executive of the marine and technology division at Babcock International, said: "This moment marks the end of eight years of manufacturing for the Queen Elizabeth class programme and at our six shipyards across the UK.

"I know I speak on behalf of more than 10,000 workers who have contributed to the design and build of the carriers when I say we are honoured to have HRH Duke of Rothesay here to mark this important occasion."

Captain Ian Groom MBE, senior naval officer for HMS Prince of Wales, added: "We were delighted to have HRH Duke of Rothesay here today to mark such a significant milestone in the life of the ship, drawing the construction phase of the Royal Navy's second Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier to a close."