Naming Ceremony Location Announced for Newest Cunard Queen

Great anticipation is building for Cunard Line’s first new ship in more than a decade, and naming ceremony details have now been announced for Queen Anne.

The ship will debut on May 3, 2024 with her maiden voyage, but her naming ceremony will be one month later in Liverpool, a city with great connection to the iconic cruise line.

Queen Anne Naming Ceremony Announced

Queen Anne will be named with great fanfare in Liverpool, UK on Monday, June 3, during a “lap of honor” voyage around the British Isles. That symbolic 14-night journey will depart Southampton on May 24 and will introduce the ship to key ports with maiden visits, including Edinburgh, Invergordon, Greenock, Belfast, and Liverpool itself, where the naming ceremony will be held.

“Queen Anne is the next in a fine line for our brand and she will be…evolving our core values of luxury, sophistication, and glamour,” said Katie McAlister, president of Cunard Line. “Liverpool is known the world over as Cunard’s spiritual home and we are all so excited for the city to see Queen Anne up close on her maiden call.”

Liverpool was selected as the site of the naming ceremony because of the city’s deep connections with Cunard Line.

“Cunard has an incredible bond with the city of Liverpool,” said McAlister. “It is where our founder Sir Samuel Cunard began his trans-Atlantic line in 1840, so what better place to officially name our new ship than somewhere that holds so many special memories.”

Now, the naming of the new ship will add another chapter of very special memories to Cunard Line, and bring the new ship fully into the fleet with style and flair that befits the luxurious cruise line.

About the Naming Ceremony

While full details of the naming ceremony are still being finalized, the celebration is sure to be a spectacular one as befits the new 113,300-gross-ton, Pinnacle-class ship.

Busted musician Matt Willis and his wife, television presenter Emma Willis, will host the naming ceremony on the Mersey waterfront. Live music, special guests, traditional blessings, and other activities are sure to be part of the festivities, which will be broadcast live worldwide. A special “salute to the city” is also planned to be part of the event.

“This is yet another prestigious, international event taking place in our city, casting Liverpool into the limelight once again and showcasing our enviable maritime offer,” said Councillor Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool City Council.

Tens of thousands of spectators are expected be on hand in Liverpool to witness the historic occasion, and viewing areas will be announced at a later time as the ceremony nears. Fans of the cruise line have previously lined up to witness maiden visits, as well as the spectacular “royal rendezvous” of the three active Queens in front of the Cunard Building in 2015, in honor of the line’s 175th anniversary.

Who Will Name Queen Anne?

The ship’s ceremonial godmother has not yet been announced. For the active Cunard Line vessels, Queen Mary 2 was christened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2004; Queen Victoria by Her Majesty Queen Camilla (as Duchess of Cornwall) in 2007, and Queen Elizabeth also by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.

Read Also: Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Legacy of Cruise Ships

Current speculation favors either Queen Camilla, Princess Royal Anne of Edinburg, or Princess of Wales Catherine to be chosen as the ship’s ceremonial godmother, but these are rumors and public hopes only, with no official announcement having yet been made.

Cruise lines often choose popular celebrities or inspirational figures as godmothers to their vessels, and men can also serve in the role as godfather. Occasionally, more unique christenings are planned.

For example, popular footballer Lionel Messi was named as the “Icon of Icon” to christen Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas, while Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Disney Wish, was appropriately christened by Make-a-Wish children in June 2022.