R.M.S. Q U E E N  E L I Z A B E T H 

1938 - 1972

Welcome to our RMS Queen Elizabeth website, which is part of our Cunard Queens website.  The Queen Elizabeth is one of the most iconic liners ever built and played a key role in the many epic events of the 20th century. When launched she was notable as the largest and longest ocean liner ever built in the UK and she retained this status long after her demise as she was only surpassed when the new RMS Queen Mary 2 entered service in 2004.

The RMS Queen Elizabeth had one of the most dramatic maiden voyages of any ocean liner ever built. She was launched by HM Queen Elizabeth in 1938 but as war clouds were gathering she had to make a daring escape untried and untested across the North Atlantic to New York where she met up with the Normandie and the Queen Mary. During the Second World War she and her elder sister gave sterling service as troopships for the British and Allied forces.

After the war she relaunched the transatlantic service and along with the Queen Mary became the pride of the British merchant fleet, operating Cunard Line's prestigious transatlantic service to New York.

Finally in the late 1960s she was retired from service but after a brief period in Port Everglades, Florida, USA she was bought by C.Y. Tung and renamed Seawise University for use as a university of the sea. Sadly she was destroyed by fire in Hong Kong during conversion.