On 24th May the majestic Queen Mary 2 arrived in Liverpool to inaugurate Cunard’s three day celebration to mark the company’s 175th anniversary. The main event took place on 25th May, beginning with the Queen Mary 2 sailing from the Liverpool berth to the mouth of the Mersey at 10.45am to meet her sisters, the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.

The three ships then sailed in close single file up river to Liverpool’s Pier Head with its iconic Three Graces, The Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and The Port of Liverpool Building. The Queen Mary 2 slowed in the river opposite the Cunard Building (Cunard’s headquarters for nearly 50 years until 1967) with her sister ships stopping ahead of her to create a three ship line-up watched by spectators of both sides of the river. Just 400 metres apart, the three ships then performed a graceful 180 degree synchronised turn to starboard. at the mid-point of the turn, all three ships lay across the river with the Queen Mary 2 then sounding ‘175’ on her ship’s whistle, first one, then seven short blasts, then five more.

With the full turn completed and the Queen Mary 2 now in the leading position, her two fleet mates then glided slowly towards either side of her to create an arrowhead formation, with the flagship just ahead of her two consorts. Finally, the entire fleet lined up three abreast across the river just 130 metres apart, as a salute to the Cunard Building and the City of Liverpool followed by the red arrows staging a fly past. Thousands of spectators lined the river and even the weather was kind!

The 148,528gt/2003 built QM2 then departed for sea, the 90,901gt/2010 built Queen Elizabeth stayed for the remainder of the day and the 90,049gt/2007 built Queen Victoria remained until the following evening. Upon her departure, the Master of the Queen Victoria, Commodore Christopher Rind, guided the ship away from the berth, turned her to starboard so that the ship’s bow faced the Three graces on Liverpool’s historic waterfront, performed a full 360 degree turn in the river and then sailed away, bringing the events to a close.