Rebecca Tobin
Practically 20 years later, I nonetheless get a thrill once I take into consideration the circumstances that led me, and a handful of journey brokers, to be in the identical room as Queen Elizabeth II.
To make sure, I used to be about as far-off from HRH because the Queen Mary 2 is lengthy, and there have been a whole lot of journey and cruise executives and VIPs within the room with me. And it wasn’t even actually a room, should you’re being technical; extra like a theater, with Elizabeth given a starring function and many people simply fortunate to be within the rafters. However that is what introduced me into her presence: The naming of Cunard’s nice ocean liner, an occasion that was so anticipated, so thrilling, so memorable, that grown editors at Journey Weekly almost fought over the invitation (not less than, in my thoughts they did).
The QM2 captivated all the cruise trade, and its creation, launch and cruising expertise is a subject I’ve returned to several times through the years. And despite the fact that Queen Elizabeth was on the QM2’s ceremony for less than a short while and spoke lower than two dozen phrases in public, her presence was overwhelmingly massive. “If you’re within the presence of Her Majesty the queen, it simply takes it to a different stage,” Peter Shanks, who was senior vp of Europe for Cunard, informed me in 2014.
With the queen’s dying final week, I can relate to the good pull that introduced 1000’s of Britons to face in line for hours to view her coffin; 1000’s to line the streets for her funeral; thousands and thousands to observe the occasions on tv.
A lot has been written this previous week about her life and legacy that I will solely deal with her relationship with Cunard which, as the company notes, dates again to 1938, when she accompanied her
mom to the launch of the Queen Elizabeth. She additionally christened the
Caronia in 1947 and, extra famously, the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967, which turned the road’s flagship, carrying passengers throughout the Atlantic in class and in addition serving as a troop provider.
A video
produced a number of years in the past by Vainness Truthful requested British actors to call
their favourite member of the royal household. “It must be the queen,”
shrugged Jeremy Irons. “She’s the highest.”
And when the Queen Mary 2 neared its launch in late 2003, it turned clear: No godmother would do besides the lady on the prime.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t a slam dunk that she would say aye. Amongst any variety of causes for saying nay, the ship’s naming ceremony coincided along with her annual winter trip at Sandringham in Scotland.
Gerry Ellis, now Carnival Corp.’s vp of security, safety and well being compliance, however again then Cunard’s director of latest builds, remembered it, too. “I used to be conscious of all of the unimaginable planning for the naming ceremony and the way we had requested Buckingham Palace for the honour of getting the Queen title the ship,” he wrote in an e mail. “The response from the palace didn’t come again rapidly, and we weren’t certain she would agree, but we continued to plan and had excessive hopes. There have been many anxious faces among the many planning staff whereas we waited.
“In fact, as we all know, she lastly did certainly agree, and the occasion itself was completely unimaginable,” he added.
Sighting the Queen
On the ship for the ceremony in January 2004, I keep in mind being thrilled that my cabin confronted the pier, which meant that if I timed it proper, I’d sight the queen when she arrived. And that is what I did: For a very long time I hid out on my balcony, which was carved out of the ship’s metal superstructure, feeling very chilly, till a small fleet of Her Majesty’s black automobiles drove as much as the gangway.
Ready to obtain them was Cunard president Pam Conover. The QM2’s hull is large, befitting a real ocean liner, and I used to be a good distance from the pier. However when Elizabeth stepped out, I knew. I simply knew.
The queen walked to the ship, and Conover dropped a curtsey. In an interview for our 10-year protection of the QM2, Conover, an Englishwoman herself, informed me that in that second she was “afraid I used to be going to fall over once I curtseyed.”
“However she was so charming,” Conover stated.
After the get together entered the ship for a tour, I deserted my balcony and hurried to the general public rooms, the place there was a flurry of pleasure. “Prince Philip, Prince Philip,” went the thrill, and shortly he appeared, strolling by means of the ship with Carnival Corp. government Howard Frank.
Ellis stated Elizabeth was launched to the crew and to Cunard’s shoreside administration. “I’ll all the time keep in mind how gracious and pleasant she was, and he or she had a related query for anybody she was launched to, listening fastidiously to each reply,” he recalled final week.
Gala festivities match for royalty
Shortly after sighting Philip, friends had been requested to disembark the QM2 to make our approach to the pierside stage for the ceremony itself. This system lasted for an hour and included music, speeches, the queen’s private bagpiper, blessings and extra. Arnie Weissmann wrote at the time that he realized the
“true advantage of hanging out with the
queen… finally you get to see the best musicians and singers in
Britain make their greatest efforts to entertain her.”
The queen made no speeches aside from her official blessing, which was
the cue for the bottle to be launched towards the ship’s hull. The monarch and her entourage left shortly after, however gala celebrations continued lengthy into the night.
I by no means acquired any nearer to Queen Elizabeth II than these seats within the rafters. However others have. Carnival Corp. chairman Micky Arison has met her greater than as soon as, as she did the naming honors for Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth in 2010 and P&O Cruises’ Britannia in 2015.
And can we see different royals as godmothers? Camilla, now the queen consort, is the godmother to a Saga ship. And future Queen Kate, now the Princess of Wales, fittingly named the Royal Princess. In spite of everything, Cunard’s Queen Anne is on the horizon.
However maybe there can be no godmother fairly like Elizabeth.
