The arrival of their 249th ship, Queen Anne, marks a very special time for Cunard. The company is excited to continue celebrating each and every step of her creation, the most recent of which is known as the Keel Laying.
This significant moment in Queen Anne’s history happened on Thursday 8th September 2022, at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice, Italy. The historic day was attended by the Fincantieri shipyard team and Carnival leadership team, as well as selected journalists. The guest of honour was the Captain of Queen Anne, Inger Thorhauge.
Steeped in tradition, the Keel Laying ceremony is designed to bring luck to a ship during its construction, and to her Captain and crew while she is in service. The keel of a ship is its main structural element. It’s the backbone that runs from stem to stern, supporting the entire hull. The laying of the keel is in essence the formal recognition of the start of construction, and the ceremony heralds the completion of the intensive design and development stage.
To mark the occasion, and acknowledge the significance of old and new, a unique Queen Anne coin has been commissioned that now sits alongside an original coin from her namesake’s reign. Together, these were embedded into the ship by her Captain, the esteemed Inger Thorhauge.
As we all watch Queen Anne take shape, we are reminded of the Cunard journey thus far. A journey of more than historic 180 years. A ship inspired by their past and built for the future, Queen Anne represents a sense of excitement for what lies ahead.
