RMS Queen Elizabeth 2

The Queen Elizabeth 2, often called "the QE2," is the flagship of the Cunard Line. She is considered the last of the great Transatlantic liners.

She was built on the River Clyde and launched on 20th September 1967. Her maiden voyage, from Southampton to New York, was on 2nd May 1969.

The "2" in the name distinguishes her from the first ship of the name, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which was named for Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI of the United Kingdom who was queen consort when that ship was built. The QE2 was probably named to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who launched her in 1969. The name was formerly written Queen Elizabeth II and this spelling is sometimes seen, though the company uses the Arabic numeral to distinguish the ship from the monarch.

In 1972, the QE2 was the subject of a bomb threat.

At 70,327 tons and 963 feet (294m), with a top speed of 32.5 knots, she is also one of the largest and fastest passenger vessels afloat. The ship is now primarily operated as a cruise ship; its only ocean crossings are when the cruising season changes, but it travels all over the world.

External link

• Official QE2 website (Cunard) (http://www.cunard.co.uk/OnBoard/QE2/QE2.asp?Active=QE2)
• QE2 Org Home Page (http://www.qe2.org.uk)