Carrier Ark Royal Sails River to London

Britain’s biggest aircraft carrier, Ark Royal, edged its way gingerly through the twists and turns of the River Thames on Thursday to become the first ship of its type to visit London.

Helped by three tugs, the 20,000-ton carrier docked at Greenwich, East London, to mark the 400th anniversary of the first Ark Royal, a wooden ship-of-the-line launched for Queen Elizabeth I at nearby Deptford. A total of five British warships have carried the name, the last three being aircraft carriers.