HMS ALBION has berthed in Liverpool for six days, after supporting Nato operations in Libya.

The 18,000-tonne assault ship, which is the flagship of the Royal Navy, sailed in to the city’s cruiser liner terminal at 4pm yesterday, ahead of a six-day visit to Merseyside and Cheshire.

HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, who is Albion’s sponsor, will be present for the crew’s march through Chester today when they will exercise their Freedom of the City.

HMS Albion is an amphibious assault ship based in Plymouth and the vessel played a role in some of the first Apache attack helicopter raid’s on Libya to support the execution of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

The Barrow-in-Furness-built warship was launched in 2001 and designed to function as a landing platform dock built to support Royal Marine Commando raids.

HMS Albion has the unique ability to dock down by flooding her stern to form a working harbour where landing craft containing Royal Marines, tanks and vehicles can be launched.

HMS Albion’s diversity enables it assist in humanitarian missions, and assisted the evacuation of civilians from Santander, Spain, during the volcanic ash fall-out, during April, 2010.