The Queen Elizabeth: A look at the luxury cruise ship and the monarch she’s named after

Great news for cruise lovers – one of the world’s most famous cruise ships will be based in Australia for more than 100 days over the 2019-20 summer: Cunard’s MS Queen Elizabeth.

The ship is a tribute to the two previous ships also named after Her Majesty: the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth 2.

Here are 11 fun facts connecting the ship with the beloved monarch that she’s named after:

1. The MS Queen Elizabeth is part of the Cunard line’s “three queens” – along with the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria. 

In real life, Queen Mary was HRH’s grandmother, while Queen Victoria was her great-great grandmother.

2. The MS Queen Elizabeth is the newest ship in the fleet. Her maiden voyage was from Southampton on October 12, 2010.

One month later, on November 17, 2010 and after months of speculation that an announcement was in the offing, the engagement of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was confirmed by Clarence House, and the Queen was said to be “absolutely delighted for them both”.

3. The MS Queen Elizabeth can carry up to 2,081 passengers.

As a comparison, Westminster Abbey has a capacity of 2,000 and St. Paul’s Cathedral can hold 3,500 guests.

4. The ship will be based in Australia for more than 100 days over the 2019-20 summer, but instead of Sydney Harbour being her home base, the ocean liner will be based in Melbourne.

In 1954, on her first visit to Australia, the new Queen visited Melbourne where, among other things, she and Prince Philip attended the opening of state parliament and an ex-servicemen’s rally at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

5. Guests on the MS Queen Elizabeth receive the famous Cunard White Star Service – warm, genuine and friendly, but never over-familiar – and are greeted by name by their stateroom steward. 

When you’re presented to The Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am’ (pronounced with a short ‘a,’ as in ‘jam’).

6. Service is top-notch and genteel, as if from another era, and the uniforms are super-smart, with white-gloved officers and crew. 

The average person shakes hands about 15,000 times in their lifetime. According to The Telegraph, the Queen shook approximately 44,400 hands in 2010 alone. And she always wears gloves. “The Queen likes classic gloves – she really only wears black and white,” said Genevieve Lawson from the Queen’s official glove-maker, Cornelia James Ltd. “They’re usually the same style: cotton and nylon, washable, very simple and practical. Most of her gloves are about six inches long, or ‘bracelet length’, and we make around 12 pairs a year. The Queen looks after her gloves – she doesn’t tend to leave them on buses like the rest of us.”

7. The ship’s full-sized Royal Court Theatre is the setting for “spectacular West End-calibre shows and musical productions, along with comedy, dance and drama”. 

It’s thought the Queen and Prince Philip go on regular incognito outings to the West End – they saw Billy Elliot in 2006 and War Horse in 2009.

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8. Gala evenings on the MS Queen Elizabeth are nights to be remembered. There’s a real sense of occasion at these glamorous events, so pack your glad rags – the dress code is “dress to impress!”.

HRH wore spectacular, extravagant gowns made by famous British designer Norman Hartnell to her wedding and her coronation, but over the years has developed a sartorial style that favours timelessness and practicality.

9. The Golden Lion pub on board the ship offers English pub lunches in a traditional British pub setting.

In 1998, the Queen made her her first-ever visit to a pub, the 900-year-old Bridge Inn in Topsham, Devon (but she didn’t have a drink!).

10. The Garden Lounge is a lovely conservatory-style space under a glass roof, inspired by London’s Kew Gardens. Here, you can enjoy Champagne and afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters during the day, and live music and dancing at night when it transforms into a supper club.

The real Kew Gardens features the “Queen’s Garden”, which was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1969.

11. On the MS Queen Elizabeth there are 1,046 staterooms, of which 892 are outside staterooms – 738 of these feature balconies.

The Buckingham Palace balcony is probably the most photographed balcony in the world. The first members of the royal family to watch an event from here were Queen Victoria’s children in 1849 – these days, members appear on the balcony regularly, including the annual Trooping of the Colour celebrations and the recent flypast to honour 100 years of the RAF.

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