Queen Anne ship arrives in UK ahead of 'spectacular' naming ceremony in Liverpool

Cunard’s newest cruise ship will arrive in the UK for the first time today, after five years in the making.

The Queen Anne has departed Italy and will arrive in her home port of Southampton today (April 30), ahead of her seven-night maiden voyage to Lisbon on May 3 and her official naming ceremony in June.

Carefully crafted in Italy over a five year period, Cunard took ownership of the stunning 3,000-guest ship during a traditional handover ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice on April 19 and is the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard flag.

An official naming ceremony will take place at Liverpool’s Pier Head in June, with tens of thousands of spectators expected to descend on vantage points along the Mersey. Hosted by TV star Emma Willis and husband Matt Willis - guitarist and singer in pop band Busted - the ceremony will be broadcasted to a live global audience.

The huge Queen Anne liner is expected to arrive on the Mersey soon after sunrise on Monday June 3 as part of a ‘lap of honour’ voyage around the British Isles. Liverpool’s Pier Head will then be alive with activity in the lead up to the naming ceremony, which is set to begin at 4pm. Matt Willis said it will be a 'spectacular show' adding that the Mersey waterfront will be 'brought to life' by a range of 'world-famous' entertainers. Guests onboard will have the opportunity to join in with the naming celebrations, which will include a host of surprise celebrations as well as a one-of-a-kind performance by The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

Cunard ships have previously attracted more than a million spectators to the banks of the Mersey. Huge crowds turned out in 1990, and in 2015 for the Three Queens ‘royal rendezvous’ in front of the Cunard Building to celebrate its 175th anniversary. Cunard's president Katie McAlister said: “Cunard has an incredible bond with the city of Liverpool. It is where our founder Sir Samuel Cunard began his Transatlantic line in 1840, so what better place to officially name our new ship than somewhere that holds so many special memories.

"Queen Anne is the next in a fine line for our brand and she will be bursting with breath-taking moments around every corner, evolving our core values of luxury, sophistication, and glamour. 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.”

Further details of timings, activities, and spectator information for Queen Anne’s visit to Liverpool will be published in the coming weeks.