New exhibition celebrates luxury Cunard liners and makes appeal for stories about the QE2 on the Clyde

When the Queen Elizabeth 2 slid into the famous shipbuilding waters of the Clyde for the first time it was the start of a storied career but, in many ways, a final hurrah.

It was the last great ocean liner to be built on the river, meaning grand launch days like it would become rarer and rarer as the industry’s boom entered its final throes.

In the wider world, commercial air travel was replacing traditional transatlantic ship voyages and holidays on the high seas would trend towards vessels resembling floating theme parks rather than floating palaces.

The splendour of the now-retired liner, however, remains at the core of luxury cruise line Cunard’s ethos as the company celebrates its 185th anniversary with a new exhibition.

© Mirrorpix / Cunard

Sea of Glamour, curated by renowned photographer Mary McCartney, gathers images spanning Hollywood icons, musicians, politicians and royalty travelling on the grand liners to the working-class communities that put their all into building the ships.

Alongside the images are contributions and testimonies from the public, creating a visual timeline of nearly two centuries of transatlantic travel.

Cunard is on the hunt for more stories about events from its history and at the top of the list is the QE2’s launch day on September 20, 1967 which brought thousands of onlookers to John Brown and Company’s yard at Clydebank and for which millions tuned in on television worldwide.

“The event was a huge spectacle,” explained maritime historian and author Chris Frame. “Unlike many cruise ships today, that are floated out in a rather slow and controlled process, the launch was much more exciting.

“This was a very dynamic event to watch as the ship made its way, stern first, into the water, picking up speed along the way.

“A launch was an experience full of excitement, noise, and visual spectacle. With QE2 being one of the last major contracts in the books, there was high interest in her launch with tens of thousands of people turning out to witness the event.

Attendees ranged from shipyard workers and their families to citizens of Clydebank and Glasgow, to people who had come across from America and Canada to witness it.”

The QE2 was launched by Queen Elizabeth II using the same pair of gold scissors her mother and grandmother had used to launch Cunard predecessors Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary from the same slipway.

A dramatic moment took place just after the christening ceremony, which is usually immediately followed by the ship being launched.

“For 90 seconds, the ship sat there without moving,” Chris said. “People started to worry that the launch had failed but, eventually, QE2 started moving down the slipway.

“Looking back, it was as if the ship somehow knew she was about to start a long 39-and-a-half year career, that would result in her becoming the furthest travelled liner in history.

“Perhaps she just wanted a few more moments of rest before her marathon career commenced!”

Before retirement in 2008 the QE2, now a floating hotel in Dubai, had travelled more than six million miles and carried over more than million passengers.

Cunard hope that the Clyde’s strong bond with the ship can inspire more people to come forward with stories of family members connected with it.

“QE2 was always very proudly a Scottish-built ship,” Chris said. “I remember on my first voyage as a child, reading the ship’s builders plate: ‘built by Upper Clyde Shipbuilders’ [the successor to John Brown] and wondering what it must have been like to build such a massive and elegant ship.

“In 1990 the QE2 made an historic visit to Greenock as part of Cunard’s 150th anniversary, her first time back since 1969. She returned several times in the 1990s and 2000s, notably on the 40th anniversary of her launch. The final visit was in October 2008 just a few weeks before she retired.

“Each visit drew huge crowds – QE2 was as famous as a ship could be, and people remained very proud of the ship throughout her entire service career.”

© Ross Crae/DCT Media

Following the exhibition’s debut in Liverpool, the Sea of Glamour exhibition will embark on a global journey aboard Cunard’s fleet.

Mary McCartney will personally capture the exhibition’s final photograph on its opening day.

The oldest ship now in Cunard’s fleet is the French-built Queen Mary 2, which entered service in 2004. She is complemented by Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and latest addition last year Queen Anne, all constructed in Italy.

Cunard’s deep links to the Clyde are still celebrated with one of the grand suites aboard the newest ship named after the river.

“Today, shipbuilding is different to how it was when QE2 was built,” Chris added. “There’s significant prefabrication in modern shipbuilding, where large parts of the ship are built and craned aboard.

“These ‘blocks’ get joined together to make up the final ship, a bit like the world’s biggest Lego set.

“Cruise ships today are generally built in a dry-dock, rather than a slipway, so you don’t really get the dramatic launches like in days gone by.

QE2’s build pioneered some of the prefabrication techniques that have evolved into modern shipbuilding, and though QE2 didn’t have the same level as modern ships, there was certainly much more use of this than aboard her predecessors.

“Beyond the technical aspects, one thing that remains constant is the deep sense of pride among those who build these ships.

“Whether it was the skilled workforce behind the QE2 in the 1960s or the dedicated teams who constructed Queen Anne, shipbuilders share an everlasting passion for their craft.

“Those who helped build the QE2 still speak about her with the same pride today as they did in 1967, showing just how deeply connected they feel to the ships they bring to life. These vessels are more than just engineering feats – they are a source of pride and legacy for those who worked on them.”

Were you, or do you know someone, featured in these photos? Cunard hopes to uncover your stories for Sea of Glamour. Get in touch with cunardphotography@cunard.co.uk before 21 April 2025