The Queen will today bid farewell to the QE2 at Southampton.
The ship, which was launched by the Queen at the John Brown shipyard on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1967, is retiring from the fleet in November. It has been bought by Dubai World for £50 million and will become a luxury floating hotel alongside man-made island Palm Jumeirah, off the coast of Dubai.
Around 300 guests have been invited to today’s farewell visit, including nine QE2 captains.
Executive housekeeper Roz Price Evans, the longest serving female crew member, will present the Queen with 55 red roses to mark the 55th anniversary of her coronation.