Russian state media fell for an April Fool’s joke that said the UK would expand the Royal Navy with a new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier called HMS Prince Andrew.

RT, one of the Kremlin’s main propaganda outlets, repeated comically false claims about the non-existent vessel, which was made up by the UK Defence Journal, mistaking the parody for real news.

The satirical article claimed HMS Prince Andrew would be painted with “go-faster stripes to improve speed and morale”.

Operation readiness would be boosted, the article explained, through an expanded “crayon provision” programme for the ship’s planning rooms and situation boards.

As for armaments, HMS Prince Andrew would carry “infinity-hundred” aircraft and Trident nuclear missiles “for deterrence purposes”.