Cunard Celebrates 185 Years with Royal Commemoration in Liverpool

On May 27, 2025, Cunard Line will celebrate its 185th anniversary in Liverpool, a city pivotal to its history. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is set to lead the event, which will include her inaugural official tour of Cunard’s latest vessel, Queen Anne. The ship will dock at the River Mersey on May 26, just shy of a year after her naming ceremony took place in the same location.

The Princess Royal will be greeted with a ceremonial welcome featuring the British Army Band Catterick. Her visit will pay homage to Cunard’s rich maritime heritage and its close ties with Liverpool, while also recognizing the leadership of the current captains of Queen Anne, Dave Hudson and Inger Thorhauge.

Following the ship’s tour, the ‘Sea of Glamour’ exhibition will launch at the Royal Liver Building. Curated by photographer Mary McCartney, the exhibition will showcase 185 photographs from Cunard’s extensive archives, highlighting celebrities, royalty, and important figures in the world of transatlantic travel. It will also feature modern images contributed by the public, reflecting nearly 200 years of Cunard’s history.

One of the exhibition’s highlights will be a portrait of the "Icons" of Queen Anne—five influential women from Liverpool selected to represent the city as the ship’s godparent. These Icons include Melanie C, Ngunan Adamu, Natalie Haywood, Jayne Casey, and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Mary McCartney is expected to photograph this portrait during the exhibition’s opening.

The ‘Sea of Glamour’ exhibition will be accessible to the public from May 28 to June 17, 2025, after which it will journey globally aboard Cunard’s fleet.

This milestone celebration coincides with other notable events in Liverpool, including BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and a Premier League victory parade for Liverpool FC, making it a significant weekend for the city.

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