Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will lead Cunard’s much-anticipated 185th anniversary celebrations in Liverpool on 27 May, as we mark 185 years of maritime heritage.
The festivities will begin on 26 May, when Queen Anne arrives in the Mersey – almost a year to the day since her historic naming ceremony in Liverpool, Cunard’s spiritual home.
Cunard is honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal for the first royal tour of Queen Anne. British Army Band Catterick will signal her arrival, marking the beginning of a memorable day of celebration.
Her Royal Highness will celebrate Cunard’s 185 years of maritime history, its enduring bond with Liverpool, and the leadership of Queen Anne’s Captains, Dave Hudson and Inger Thorhauge.
Following this, Cunard will officially open its 185th ‘Sea of Glamour’ exhibition at The Royal Liver Building, joined by Queen Anne’s Icons – five proud Liverpudlian women chosen to represent the city after Liverpool was named, in a world first, as Queen Anne’s Godparent.
Curated by renowned photographer Mary McCartney, the exhibition will showcase the glamour, grandeur, and cultural heritage of life at sea through Cunard’s illustrious 185-year history.
The Sea of Glamour Exhibition will be open to the general public at The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool between 28 May 2025 and 17 June 2025, before setting sail around the world aboard the Cunard fleet.
It will feature a stunning collection of 185 photos of Hollywood icons, musicians, politicians and royalty from the Cunard archives, alongside newly curated images from the public to form a timeline of iconic moments that will immerse visitors in the magic of nearly two centuries of transatlantic travel.
British photographer and filmmaker Mary McCartney will take the final photograph for the exhibition on 27 May, capturing a portrait of Queen Anne’s Icons in Liverpool on the day it opens. This unique image will offer a fresh, captivating perspective on Cunard’s iconic link to Liverpool.
The icons are: Spice Girl and author Melanie C, broadcaster and community leader Ngunan Adamu, local restaurant entrepreneur Natalie Haywood, Liverpool music and cultural legend Jayne Casey, and British Olympian heptathlon athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.