Our Royals at Sea

What’s the inside story of the stateliest liner ever to sail the seas? After lifting the lid on the Royal Yacht last week, Rob Bell turns to the RMS Queen Mary.

What's the inside story of the stateliest liner ever to sail the seas? After lifting the lid on the Royal Yacht last week, Rob Bell turns to the RMS Queen Mary

What’s the inside story of the stateliest liner ever to sail the seas? After lifting the lid on the Royal Yacht last week, Rob Bell turns to the RMS Queen Mary.

With some claim to be the most famous ocean liner that ever sailed the seas, the Cunard-White Star Line flagship came into service in 1936, immediately became the fastest ship on the transatlantic run and majestically continued on that route until 1967.

In between, she saw service as a troopship during World War Two and now lives out a peaceful retirement as a tourist attraction in Long Beach, California.

In the age before easy transatlantic flight, the Queen Mary was the way to cross the Atlantic for the rich and famous. From King George V on down, expect names to be dropped.