SS / MS Queen Elizabeth 2

Monday the 2nd of June 2008 will always be ‘the day I met The Queen’.
She unveiled a painting I had done of her namesake, the Queen Elizabeth 2, the famous Cunard Liner which was shortly to retire.
After drawing back the curtain she walked over to me and began a conversation which turned out to be rather longer than I, or anyone else expected. A handshake and possibly a ‘well done’ was all I had hoped for.
After a few minutes she said, ‘where is the Monkey?’ – obviously she had been briefed beforehand as I almost always hide a caricature of a monkey somewhere in my paintings but never tell anyone where it is. ‘I cannot say’ I replied. She smiled and with a twinkle in her eye said she still had the authority to dispatch me to ‘The Tower’ (of London).
Later that year ‘The Palace’ wondered if would be possible to produce a jigsaw puzzle of the painting as the Royal Family like to do a puzzle at Christmas. Two were made specially, one dispatched to the Palace and the other I now treasure at home.
I heard later that she found the Monkey!
For me, the World will never be quite the same without ‘The Queen’ – there was only one.
God save the King

-- Robert Lloyd

Queen Elizabeth 2 became the longest serving Cunarder at 36 years, 4 months, surpassing Scythia. September 4th, 2005. For RMS Queen Mary 2 to break QE2’s remarkable record, she would have to sail for Cunard until the summer of 2043.

QE2 Breaks a Longevity Record - Ocean Liners Magazine On 4 September 2005 Queen Elizabeth 2 became the longest serving Cunarder ever—36 years and four months—surpassing Scythia.

On this day 56 years ago my keel was laid down at the John Brown & Co. shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland ... on the same slipway used to build RMS Queen Mary!



📸: https://oceanlinersmagazine.com

My forerunner RMS Queen Mary began her maiden voyage on this day in 1936!

The end of an era was announced on this day 54 years ago!

TODAY IN LINER HISTORY

Cunard Line, no longer able to convince enough travelers that "Getting there is half the fun!", announced on May 8th, 1967 that their legendary liners RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth would be withdrawn from service. The announcement detailed that Mary was to be retired before the end of the year, with Lizzy following suit in the fall of 1968.

The two stalwarts were to be succeeded by a single vessel, SS/MS Queen Elizabeth 2, whose slightly smaller dimensions made her a versatile vessel able to carry on the company's long tradition of regularly scheduled transatlantic crossings while also being competitive in the emerging cruise industry.
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ALSO ON THIS DAY ...

1907- White Star's RMS Adriatic begins her maiden voyage.
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Join Facebook’s oldest continually active ocean liner group at Lovers of the Ocean Liners!

📸: http://quirkyberkeley.com/getting-there-is-half-the-fun

Today is the 52nd anniversary of my maiden voyage!

📸: Daily Mail

On April 22nd, 1969 I began my second "shakedown cruise" to Las Palmas, prior to my inaugural transatlantic crossing. While it did not go anywhere near as poorly as the first, it was still a much troubled trip. The kinks all got worked out though and we had a successful maiden voyage the following month!

(📸: www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/315040936412344952)

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A changing of the guard was announced on this day in 1968.

53 years ago today the Cunard Line announced that RMS Queen Mary and I would both be withdrawn from service by the end of 1968. We were to be succeeded by hull 736, which of course would go on to become the legendary SS/MS Queen Elizabeth 2!

📸: http://quirkyberkeley.com/getting-there-is-half-the-fun

PART TWO

Incredible footage of me arriving in New York for the very first time on this day in 1969!

Thank you Michel Perrin!

7 MAI 1969 ARRIVÉE INAUGURALE PAQUEBOT QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 PARTIE 2