The Princess Royal will tour Cunard’s latest ship in Liverpool on May 27 to lead the line’s 185thanniversary celebrations.
She will make the first royal visit to Queen Anne after being welcomed to the port by British Army Band Catterick.
Cunard says Princess Anne – the King’s sister – will mark the line’s history and the leadership of Queen Anne’s captains, Dave Hudson and Inger Thorhauge.
Following the tour, Cunard will open its Sea Of Glamour exhibition at The Royal Liver Building, joined by Queen Anne’s icons – five Liverpudlian women who were chosen to represent the city after Liverpool was named as the ship’s godparent.
The festivities will begin the day before when the ship arrives in the Mersey, almost a year since her naming ceremony in Liverpool – Cunard’s spiritual home.
The line’s president, Katie McAlister, said: ‘This is a landmark moment for Cunard, and we are incredibly honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness to Liverpool as we celebrate 185 years of our heritage. The opening of the Sea Of Glamour exhibition is a fitting tribute to the elegance and legacy that define Cunard, and to the special bond we share with this great city.’
The Sea Of Glamour exhibition will be open to the public from May 28 to June 17, before setting sail around the world aboard the Cunard fleet.
It features 185 photos of Hollywood icons, musicians, politicians and royalty from the Cunard archives, alongside images from the public to mark nearly two centuries of transatlantic travel.
British photographer and filmmaker Mary McCartney will take the final photograph for the exhibition on May 27, capturing a portrait of Queen Anne’s icons – Spice Girl and author Melanie C; broadcaster and community leader Ngunan Adamu; local restaurant entrepreneur Natalie Haywood; Liverpool music and cultural legend Jayne Casey; and British Olympian heptathlon athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
See also:
Help create a Sea Of Glamour with your Cunard photos
Five Liverpool icons will name Queen Anne
Celebrity couple to host naming of Queen Anne in Liverpool