There’s big news today that the Queen will name Cunard’s new Queen Elizabeth in Southampton on October 11. So for all you royal-watchers out there, here is a bit of Cruise Critic’s own royal ship-naming trivia!
- The first merchant ship launched by a British monarch was the liner Queen Mary in 1934, named by Her Majesty Queen Mary, wife of King George V.
- Our present Queen has launched three Cunard ships: Caronia (when she was still Princess Elizabeth), QE2 in 1967 and Queen Mary 2 in 2004.
- The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, named P&O’s Aurora in 2000, but the champagne bottle failed to smash, considered an ill omen in shipping tradition. The media subsequently had a field day when the ship was hit by a high-profile outbreak of norovirus in 2003 and severe engine trouble in 2005, which led to the cancellation of the world cruise.
- When the Queen Mother launched the original Queen Elizabeth in 1938, the microphone she was using broke so the assembled crowd did not hear her actual announcement, which was drowned out by the ship thundering down the slipway.
- We still don’t really know if QE2, named in 1967, was supposed to be QE2 or simply Queen Elizabeth, which was the original intention. In those days, the name of the ship was not added to the bow until after the ceremony. Dignitaries were simply invited to the ‘Launch of Cunard Liner No. 736’. The Queen allegedly didn’t read the piece of paper she was given and announced: “I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second. May God bless her and all who sail in her.” So the ship became Queen Elizabeth 2…
- …which is not to be confused with Queen Elizabeth II! The numeric 2, it is believed, refers to the ship – the second Queen Elizabeth ship. The Roman II refers to the Queen herself. As the ship was built in Scotland, some say it would have been inappropriate to name it Queen Elizabeth II, as this II refers to the lineage of the throne of England. The first monarch with this name, Elizabeth I (1533-1603), was Queen of England but not Scotland.
- So why not QE3 for the new ship? All we know is that it’s Cunard’s style to have more than one ship of the same name without using numbers; there were two Mauretanias and three Caronias, after all. So naming the new ship Queen Elizabeth is simply reverting to tradition.
SJB
7 Comments
September 2, 2010 at 8:38 am
HM Queen Elizabeth II has launched at least another merchant ship, Shaw Savill’s ‘Southern Cross’ on 17 August 1954, an ocean liner for the Southern trade to Australia.
Many may remember her as a cruise ship. After 1975 she was used as such, with the names Calypso, Azure Seas and OceanBreeze. Sold for scrap in 2004.
September 2, 2010 at 9:04 am
You are absolutely right – I’ve googled it. This ship has a fascinating history. I’ll make the point to Cunard, too! Thanks for pointing it out.
Sue
September 2, 2010 at 9:51 pm
I think you have forgotten HM is also the godmother of Oriana, so now makes 5 ships.
September 3, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Thank you! I have changed the piece above to say ‘three Cunard ships’!
Sue
October 15, 2010 at 1:21 am
HM Queen Elizabeth II has named several other ships apart from the three Cunarders, these include the former Royal Yacht Britannia on the Clyde in 1953 and in more recent times on the Clyde the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses tender Fingal in 1990 and the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Hebrides in 2000, both ships coming from the Ferguson shipyard at Port Glasgow – I was fortunate to attend both of these launches (as a schoolboy I had also witnessed Her Majesty launching QE2 in Setember 1967).
July 4, 2012 at 9:20 am
I now have the following lisy of ships launched by HM The Queen but some claim there are as many as 23.
Cunard Ships
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched Caronia from John Brown’s shipyard, Clydebank, on 30 October 1947.
Her Majesty The Queen launched Queen Elizabeth 2 John Brown’s shipyard, Clydebank, on 20 September 1967.
Her Majesty The Queen named Queen Mary2 at Southampton on 8 January 2004
Her Majesty The Queen named Queen Elizabeth at Southampton on 11 October 2011
Other Passenger Ships
Her Majesty The Queen launched Southern Cross at the Harland & Wolff, shipyard, Belfast for the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line on 17 August 1954
Her Majesty The Queen launched Canadian Pacific’s Empress of Britain at Fairfield Shipbuilding in Govan near Glasgow, Scotland on June 22, 1955.
Her Majesty The Queen named P&O’s Oriana at Southampton on 6 April 1995. She was built at the Meyer Werft Yard in Germany.
Other Ships
Her Majesty The Queen launched the Royal Yacht Britannia at John Brown’s Yard, Clydebank on 16 April 1953.
Her Majesty The Queen launched the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses tender Fingal in 1990 at the Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow.
Her Majesty The Queen launched RRS James Clark Ross at the Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Wallsend, on the 1st December 1990.
Her Majesty The Queen launched MV Hebrides at Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow on 2 August 2000.
Her Majesty the Queen named the Trinity House Vessel Galatea in the Pool of London on 17 October 2007.
Royal Navy Ships
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched the battleship HMS Vanguard at the John Brown’s Shipyard Clydebank on 30 November 1944.
Her Majesty The Queen launched HMS Dreadnought on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1960.
Her Majesty The Queen named HMS Ocean built on the Clyde by Kvaerner Govan, on February 20 1998.
Lifeboats
Her Majesty The Queen named the Solent class Royal British Legion Jubilee 17 July 1972.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Waveney class The Scout 14 July 1977.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Mersey class Her Majesty The Queen, 16 July 1993.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Severn Class Richard Cox Scott 1 May 2002.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Severn Class Sybil Muller Glover 23 July 2003.
Schooner
HM The Queen named the Tunas Samudera (or KLD Tunas Samudera) a two-masted schooner, or brigantine, of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Tunas Samudera was built by Brooke Yachts in Lowestoft, in 1969.
Tall ship
HM The Queen named the Training Ship Playfair in Toronto in 1973.
July 8, 2012 at 2:15 pm
I have had another look at the ships named or launched by the Queen . I now list 25 ships which is in agreement with the information released from Buckingham Palace in 2006.
Launches/ Naming Ceremonies by HM The Queen
Information released from Buckingham Palace on 11 April 2006 stated that the Queen had launched/named 23 ships. Since that date she has launched/named two more ships.
Cunard Ships
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched Caronia from John Brown’s shipyard, Clydebank, on 30 October 1947.
Her Majesty The Queen launched Queen Elizabeth 2 John Brown’s shipyard, Clydebank, on 20 September 1967.
Her Majesty The Queen named Queen Mary 2 at Southampton on 8 January 2004. She was built at Alstom Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St Navaire, France
Her Majesty The Queen named Queen Elizabeth at Southampton on 11 October 2011. She was built at the Fincantieri Shipyard, Italy.
Other Passenger Ships
Her Majesty The Queen launched Southern Cross at the Harland & Wolff, shipyard, Belfast for the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line on 17 August 1954
Her Majesty The Queen launched Canadian Pacific’s Empress of Britain at Fairfield Shipbuilding in Govan near Glasgow, Scotland on June 22, 1955.
Her Majesty The Queen named P&O’s Oriana at Southampton on 6 April 1995. She was built at the Meyer Werft Yard in Germany.
Other Ships
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched the oil tanker British Princess at Sir James Laing’s Shipyard, Tyne & Wear on 6 June 1946.
Her Majesty The Queen launched the Royal Yacht Britannia at John Brown’s Yard, Clydebank on 16 April 1953.
Her Majesty The Queen launched the British Petroleum oil tanker, British Admiral at Vickers Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness on 17 March, 1965.
Her Majesty The Queen launched the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses tender Fingal in 1990 at the Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow.
Her Majesty The Queen launched RRS James Clark Ross at the Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, Wallsend, on 1 December 1990.
Her Majesty The Queen launched MV Hebrides at Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow on 2 August 2000.
Her Majesty the Queen named the Trinity House Vessel Galatea in the Pool of London on 17 October 2007.
Royal Navy Ships
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched the battleship HMS Vanguard at the John Brown’s Shipyard Clydebank on 30 November 1944.
HRH The Princess Elizabeth launched HMS Eagle at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard, Belfast on 19 March 1946.
Her Majesty The Queen launched HMS Dreadnought at the Vickers Armstrong Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1960.
Her Majesty The Queen Launched HMS Invincible at the at the Vickers Armstrong Shipyard, Barrow-in-Furness on 3 May 1977
Her Majesty The Queen named HMS Ocean at the Kvaerner Shipyard, Govan, on 20 February 1998.
Lifeboats
Her Majesty The Queen named the relief lifeboat Royal British Legion Jubilee at Henley on Thames on 17 July 1972.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Hartlepool lifeboat The Scout on 14 July 1977.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Ramsgate lifeboat Her Majesty The Queen on 16 July 1993.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Falmouth lifeboat Richard Cox Scott on 1 May 2002.
Her Majesty The Queen named the Plymouth lifeboat Sybil Mullen Glover on 23 July 2003.
Tall ship
HM The Queen named the Training Ship Playfair in Toronto in 1973.