CAMMELL Laird workers shared in a triumphant moment for British shipbuilding when the Queen officially named the Royal Navy's new £3bn aircraft carrier at Scotland's Rosyth Naval Dockyard.

Construction of the Queen Elizabeth super carrier sustained around 8,000 jobs at more than 100 companies across the UK.

The Birkenhead shipyard’s £44m contribution involved construction of the carrier’s flight deck, hangars and some accommodation units.

The completed sections were towed on barges to Rosyth for final assembly.

Cammell Laird chief executive John Syvret commented: "We were delighted to be involved in constructing sections of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier.

"We are working hard on all fronts and I think we were successful getting this contract as the Aircraft Carrier Alliance recognised what we achieved in terms of quality, production, safety and value for money."

Other modules were built at Clydeside, Devon, Portsmouth, Rosyth and Tyneside.

The Queen christened HMS Queen Elizabeth with a bottle of Scottish whisky.

She pressed a button to release a bottle of Islay malt whisky suspended in front of the ship.

The Queen said it represented an exciting new era for the Navy and would be a source of inspiration and pride for the nation.

Hundreds of workers involved in the carrier’s construction joined VIPs for the naming ceremony including Prime Minister David Cameron, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and First Sea Lord Sir George Zambellas.

Sir George said: “HMS Queen Elizabeth will be a national instrument of power and a national symbol of authority. That means she will be a national icon too, all the while keeping the great in Great Britain and the royal in Royal Navy.”

At 183 ft high the UK’s biggest ever warship is taller than Niagara Falls and is 932ft long. The 229ft wide flight deck is the size of 60 tennis courts and four Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jets) could fit alongside each other.

The warship is as long as 25 buses and can carry 40 jets and helicopters at a time. It will have a permanent crew of almost 1,600 when it enters service in 2020.

At 70,600 gross tons it is twice the size of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.