People watched on from the beach as the Queen Victoria cruise ship arrived in Liverpool ahead of a special event.
The Cunard ship, which can hold up to 2,061 guests and 913 crew, arrived at the cruise terminal at around 5pm on Friday, May 2. People gathered on the beach at New Brighton and along the promenade to capture the moment the boat came into the River Mersey on their mobile phones.
Queen Victoria is in Liverpool to roundoff the city's commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. At 11am on Saturday, June 3, Captain Evans Hoyt, the Master of Queen Victoria, will join guests from his ship at a Cunard Service of Remembrance at Liverpool Parish Church, Our Lady and Saint Nicholas. Civic dignitaries and veterans will also attend.
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The return of Queen Victoria to Liverpool follows a series of special waterfront events during the week to remember and respect the sacrifice of others in sustaining vital supplies shipped in convoys to maintain the UK war effort, described by Winston Churchill at the time as the Battle of the Atlantic.
Liverpool and Cunard each played a pivotal role in the effort, the port city handling ships and their cargoes and housing the underground military nerve centre of operations, now the Western Approaches World War II Museum. Dozens of Cunard ships and hundreds of officers and crew joined perilous transatlantic convoys, sailing under the deadly threat of attack by German U-Boats.
Angus Struthers, senior vice president at Cunard said: “In times of national need, Cunard ships and their crews have served the nation throughout our 183-year history, never more so than during World War II. Liverpool will forever be regarded as Cunard’s spiritual home and we are honoured that Queen Victoria’s call, and our Service at the Parish Church, can help mark the 80 th Anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.”
The Rector of Liverpool, the Revd Canon Dr Crispin Pailing, said: “The maritime histories of Liverpool and Cunard are entwined, and the Battle of the Atlantic forms a remarkable chapter in both. We look forward to welcoming guests joining our Service from Queen Victoria as we remember the sacrifices made by so many serving the Merchant Navy at sea as well as those working ashore during the war years.”
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