History of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth

Continuing a grand royal tradition, Her Majesty The Queen officially named Queen Elizabeth on 10 October 2010 during a regal ceremony in Southampton, England amongst a VIP audience of more than 1,500 guests, celebrities and dignitaries.

With a capacity of 2,068 guests and an estimated total cost $634 million, Queen Elizabeth features many unique Cunard traditions linking her with her sister ships and their predecessors, together with all the modern day luxuries Cunard's guests have come to expect. From the outside, her distinctive black and red livery hints at an experience that differentiates a Cunard liner from a modern-day cruise ship. This is most evident in the ship's adherence to liner design traditions, with distinctive art deco touches, elegant double and triple height public rooms on a grand scale, luxuriously endowed with rich wood paneling, intricate mosaics, hand-woven carpets, gleaming chandeliers, and cool marbles.

Key features of the ship which are on display in the Grand Lobby include a specially commissioned portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as an 18.5 ft. marquetry piece of the original Queen Elizabeth, expertly created by David Linley, the only nephew of Her Majesty.

To learn more about Cunard, click here.