The history of Queen Elizabeth

Built as a sister ship to Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth joined the Cunard fleet in 2010. She is, in part, a tribute to those eponymous ships who came before her – the original Queen Elizabeth, in the 1930s, and the well-loved Queen Elizabeth 2, better known as ‘the QE2’. As such, the current Queen Elizabeth has a notable Art Deco interior, evoking images of what many describe as the Golden Age of travel.

On 11 October 2010, following completion of the construction of Queen Elizabeth in Italy, our late queen, Queen Elizabeth II, launched the ship of her namesake at a ceremony in Southampton. Then, the following day, the ship embarked on her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands under Captain Christopher Wells.

Since her launch, Queen Elizabeth has been a part of many Cunard events. On 5 June 2012, Queen Elizabeth joined Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 in Southampton, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. This was the first time all three ships had sailed into Southampton at the same time and it was truly a spectacular night. Then, on 25 May 2015, the three Queens came together again in Liverpool, to commemorate Cunard’s 175th anniversary. Complete with a Red Arrow fly-past, and over a million spectators, this too was an unforgettable celebration.

In 2019, Queen Elizabeth sailed to Australia to embark on an extended season in this part of the world. She became a familiar sight at Sydney Harbour, transporting thousands of guests on extraordinary holidays around Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Southeast Asia.