Cunard Names City of Liverpool as Godparent to New Ship Queen Anne

Cunard hosted the official naming ceremony for its new ship, Queen Anne, today in Liverpool. The cruise line has named the City of Liverpool as the Godparent for the ship, in recognition of the long-lasting bond with its spiritual home.

Liverpool was the birthplace of Cunard, with its first Transatlantic crossing departing from the city 184 years ago in July of 1840. Liverpool has served as the company’s headquarters for over 128 years. Two of the largest crowds ever to gather for a maritime event were in Liverpool for Cunard, a million people for QE2 in 1990, and over a million for the Three Queens Salute in 2015. 

Naming Ceremony Queen Anne - Photo by Cunard

On behalf of the City of Liverpool, Cunard selected five distinguished Liverpool icons to represent the city and to officially name Queen Anne. They are Spice Girl and author Melanie C, broadcaster and community leader Ngunan Adamu, local restaurant entrepreneur Natalie Haywood, music and cultural legend Jayne Casey, and British Olympian heptathlon athlete Katarina Johnson-Thomson.

Thousands gathered along the Liverpool waterfront today to witness the time-honored ship naming ceremony for Queen Anne. This maritime tradition is believed to bestow good fortune upon the new vessel. The Liverpool icons continued the seafaring naming tradition of smashing a bottle of champagne against the ship. Queen Anne is the 249th ship to carry the Cunard name. 

The event proceedings were opened with a performance by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. On hand were event hosts, Matt and Emma Willis, Cunard President, Katie McAlister, and Queen Anne Captain Inger Klein. 

The event concluded with a stunning performance by superstar Andrea Bocelli, who sang his iconic song 'Time to Say Goodbye'.  

“Liverpool is the spiritual home of Cunard, and we are therefore delighted and feel it very fitting that the City of Liverpool is the godparent to Queen Anne. It is a testament to the enduring relationship that connects Cunard and the city in which it was founded to the present day when we officially named our new ship on the Liverpool Waterfront, in front of the Cunard Building,” said Katie McAlister, President of Cunard. We are equally delighted to have our five chosen Liverpool icons represent the city in the ceremony. All remarkable in their own right, they have inspired generations and collectively capture the essence of the city that has shaped global culture.”

Andrew Lewis, Chief Executive of Liverpool City Council also remarked, “It’s an incredible honour for the City of Liverpool to be chosen as the Godparent of Queen Anne. This city shares a treasured bond with Cunard dating back to 1839 when we were the original home of the world-famous line. The naming ceremony was a magnificent showpiece that once again cast Liverpool into the limelight, and we are so proud to be forever entwined with Queen Anne as she sails the world. We will always cherish our long-standing relationship with Cunard.”

Queen Anne officially went into service on May 3, 2024. The ship is spending its inaugural summer season sailing Northern Europe and Mediterranean cruises from Southampton and Rome. Bookings for all cruises on Queen Anne through January 2027 are now available for booking. 

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