On September 8, 2022, the news broke that Queen Elizabeth II had sadly passed away at 96 years old and after 70 years of leadership.
The world mourns the loss of a dignified role model and leader, and of course, her family mourn the loss of a treasured mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Within the cruise industry, she will long be remembered because of her connection to cruise ships and those that bear her blessing.
We wanted to honour Her Majesty in our own way and thought the best way of doing that would be to highlight her role in maritime history.
Queen Elizabeth II – A Royal connection
It began in 1938, on September 27, to be exact, when the future Queen was just 12 years old and attended the christening of Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth. It was a sign of things to come, and these are just some of the incredible vessels she has blessed over the years.
Caronia
The future monarch launched Cunard White Star Line’s Caronia in 1947. She was one of the first-built ships for transatlantic ocean liner crossings and cruise travel. She featured an outdoor swimming pool and, a big plus for the time, private bathrooms in every cabin.
In December 1967, Queen Elizabeth II named Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2, lovingly referred to as the QE2. The ship wasn’t directly named for Her Majesty, she was the second vessel in the fleet to be named after the Queen Mother. The QE2 went on to become Cunard’s longest-serving ocean liner.
Queen Mary 2 was christened by Queen Elizabeth II in January 2004 and to this day, she is the largest ocean liner in the world. In fact, she’s now the only true ocean liner still in operation. She is the second liner in Cunard’s history to bear the name.
Queen Elizabeth
The 2010 Queen Elizabeth II evokes the nautical age of the 1930s and she was christened by Her Majesty in October of the same year.
Oriana
P&O Cruises’ former ship Oriana was named in April 1995, and it was a fabulous occasion. She was christened by the Queen in true maritime fashion and, at the time, was the first purpose-built cruise ship for the British market.
P&O Cruises Britannia was also named by Queen Elizabeth II, in March 2015. She became the flagship of the fleet and Her Majesty served as godmother to the ship. Britannia bears the largest Union Flag hull art in the world.
Caronia
The Cruise Industry Pays Tribute
The trade association CLIA said in a statement the Queen was “a wonderful ambassador for the cruise industry”.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said: “We would like to pay our heartfelt respects to Her Majesty the Queen. We are so sad to hear of her passing and our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this difficult time.
“On all of our ships, our flags will be lowered to half-mast wherever permitted during this time of mourning.”
MSC Cruises stated: “Thank you to Her Majesty the Queen for dedicating her life to our country and building a truly incredibly legacy that will forever be remembered.
“On behalf of our employees and partners at MSC Cruises, our deepest sympathy and condolences are with The Royal Family as we join the rest of the UK and beyond in a period of national mourning for Her Majesty the Queen.”
P&O Cruises – Britannia ship
Cunard joins the UK and nations around the world in expressing our deep sympathy at the death of Her Majesty, and we extend sincere condolences to The Royal Family.
“P&O Cruises and its staff both ashore and at sea express deep sadness at the news of the death of Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty will forever be remembered at P&O Cruises not least for the fact that she named two of the company’s ships, Oriana, and Britannia,” P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said.
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