The Queen Elizabeth class and claimed savings

Was the Queen Elizabeth class really cheaper when procured?

The claimed saving was largely a phantom efficiency rather than a clear underlying cost advantage.

The deliberately brief answer calls the apparent saving largely a phantom efficiency. That wording rejects a clear underlying cost advantage and treats the advertised difference as an artefact of the comparison. No figures or detailed breakdown are provided, so the conclusion remains a caution about the claim rather than a quantified cost analysis.