'' Queen Elizabeth '' class is a class of two aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom 's Royal Navy . The lead ship , , was named on 4 July 2014 , in honour of Elizabeth I , but not Elizabeth II . She was commissioned on 7 December 2017 , with an initial operating capability expected in 2018 . The second , , was launched on 21 December 2017 , and is planned to be commissioned in 2020 . At the NATO 2014 Wales summit , the Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the second carrier would be brought into service , ending years of uncertainty surrounding its future . This was confirmed by the November 2015 Government Strategic Defence Review , with both carriers entering service , one being available at any time
2014 Wales summit
2014 Wales summit
Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier