The latest Queen within the Cunard Line fleet has been formally named, with a symbolic godparent nobody was anticipating. Quite than a single godmother or godfather – extensively purported to be a member of the British Royal Household – the enduring cruise line selected the entire historic Metropolis of Liverpool as Queen Anne‘s official godparent.
5 girls – all hailing from the superb metropolis with its wealthy maritime historical past – have been chosen, every representing the distinctive and various tradition of the town.
“These distinguished girls, who embody the guts and way forward for Liverpool, simply as Queen Anne does for Cunard, have been chosen for his or her important contributions to tradition at a neighborhood, nationwide or worldwide degree,” Cunard Line acknowledged.
The enduring girls are Spice Woman and creator Melanie C (Sporty Spice), broadcaster and group chief Ngunan Adamu, native restaurant entrepreneur Natalie Haywood, Liverpool punk music and cultural legend Jayne Casey, and British Olympian track-and-field heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thomson. Every attended the ship’s official christening so as to add their very own blessings and success to the vessel.
“All [these women] exceptional in their very own proper, they’ve impressed generations and collectively seize the essence of the town that has formed international tradition,” stated Katie McAlister, President of Cunard.
Whereas the selection of your complete Metropolis of Liverpool and these 5 consultant girls was a shock for Cunard Line followers, the town itself has a long-standing maritime historical past, from commerce routes to emigration to trendy tourism. Liverpool can also be notable for its iconic music scene and cultural arts, and is the fourth largest port within the UK.
“Liverpool is the religious dwelling of Cunard, and we’re due to this fact delighted and really feel it very becoming that the Metropolis of Liverpool is the godparent to Queen Anne,” stated McAlister. “It’s testomony to the enduring relationship that connects Cunard and the town by which it was based to the current day once we formally named our new ship on the Liverpool Waterfront, in entrance of the Cunard Constructing.”
“It’s an unimaginable honour for the Metropolis of Liverpool to be chosen because the Godparent of Queen Anne,” stated Andrew Lewis, Chief Govt of the Liverpool Metropolis Council. “This metropolis shares a treasured bond with Cunard relationship again to 1839 once we have been the unique dwelling of the world-famous line.”
Whereas Cunard Line is now headquartered in Southampton, the cruise line nonetheless shares pursuits with Liverpool with occasional visits by the totally different Queens. Queen Mary 2, for instance, will spend a day within the metropolis in September. The 113,000-gross-ton, Pinnacle-class Queen Anne has a number of extra visits to Liverpool deliberate for 2025, on totally different itineraries.
Combined Reactions
Reactions have been blended to the announcement of Liverpool and its iconic girls named as the brand new ship’s official godparent. Whereas it is a departure from custom, it does present the cruise line’s adaptability and acknowledgment of a brand new period in variety and group connection.
Some much less enthusiastic reactions had hoped for a British Royal to call the brand new ship, as has been custom for the opposite three Cunard Queens at the moment in service.
The late Queen Elizabeth II christened Queen Mary 2 in 2004, and when Queen Victoria joined the fleet in 2007, she was christened by Camilla Rosemary, now Queen Camilla. Queen Elizabeth II additionally christened the subsequent youngest of the cruise line’s ships, Queen Elizabeth, in 2010.
Learn Additionally: Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Legacy of Cruise Ships
A number of royal candidates have been closely favored for the honors, together with the Princess Royal, Anne Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, or Catherine, Princess of Wales. It was additionally believed that Queen Camilla would possibly reprise her ceremonial position for the brand new ship.
The confused and dissatisfied reactions are just like the response when Gwen Stephani was named godmother of Carnival Jubilee. Carnival Cruise Line had spent months hyping the brand new ship’s connection to Texas and her homeport of Galveston. Regardless of her accolades within the music business, nonetheless, Stefani has no private connection to the Lone Star State.
Each Cunard Line and Carnival Cruise Line are owned by Carnival Company & plc.
