QE2 Final day in Southampton and final departure (11/11/2008)

[Chris]

Great collection of stills Lauren!

[Chris]

I rediscovered this news clip:

[Lynda Bradford]

I never tire of seeing clips of QE2 and remember my emotions when I watched her leave  Southampton.But never give up hope that one day she will return to UK. 

The section that shows the Queen name and launch the ship you can see what looks like the Queen wiping away a tear from her eye, then turning to Princess Margaret who is smiling.  I had never noticed that before when watching launch videos. 

[Michael Gallagher]

Lynda - Newspapers the next day claimed the Queen had wept as the new ship entered the Clyde, and that Prince Philip took a white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. The Queen exclaimed ‘Oh, look at her, she’s beautiful.’

Interestingly, perhaps the only other time the Queen was seen in public 'emotional' and with what looked like tears was when she bade farewell to HMY Britannia during the special service held during which Britannia sailed off.

Something about ships and the sea?

[Lynda Bradford]

. The Queen exclaimed ‘Oh, look at her, she’s beautiful.’

Truer words have never been spoken!

[Rob Lightbody]

Brilliant Clip, thanks for resurrecting it for us Chris.

[Matron]

I manged to get a seat on a Blue Funnel boat that ended up staying just off the QE2's stbd bow for the whole departure and fireworks.  Very emotional.
Never will there be another ship's whistle capable of sending such shivers up and down my spine.  I'm really glad that I plucked up the courage to ask if I could operate it - Capt Bates kindly let me do the honours as we left Lisbon on the last contract I did on board....

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Here is a new video of her final departure from Southampton :

Video unavailable

Half an hour's viewing is in store for you   .

[bobso]

That's a nice video of the QE2 final departure from Southampton on the 11th November 2008!

[Rob Lightbody]

Three years ago today everybody...

[Bob C.]

Sigh...

[Twynkle]

Three years ago today everybody...

Sigh...

QE2 and the firework display in honour of her departure - Mayflower Park, Southampton

IMG_0246 by twynkle1, on Flickr

There was a smaller display specially arranged by Cunard as the shoreside staff made their farewells
This was particularly moving, and I'm sorry as the image below doesn't do it justice

IMG_0285 by twynkle1, on Flickr

Then beneath her great Mast, we saw the Scots!

IMG_0357 by twynkle1, on Flickr

By now she was on her way...amidst music, whistles and fireworks

IMG_0297 by twynkle1, on Flickr

It was as if it was all too sad, so she'd picked up speed -
and overtook us at probably more than the speed limit in the channel...
someone mentioned 28kts, it seemed like even more!

IMG_0398 by twynkle1, on Flickr

  

[cunardqueen]

  It was as if it was all too sad, so she'd picked up speed -
and overtook us at probably more than the speed limit in the channel...
someone mentioned 28kts, it seemed like even more!
   

Funny you mention her picking up speed l was on Red Jet 4 and l think second but last to leave her, there was a massive increase in speed and off she went..we turned round and headed back..somewhat sad and stunned.
I do wonder how the shoreside party went in the terminal building, it appeared to be just starting as l left.....

[bobso]

Lovely photo's rosie--i have saved the ones of the red lights on the mast for reference regarding the model i am building.

[Rob Lightbody]

She was doing 30 knots very quickly after leaving. The simple reason being that she was well behind schedule by that point. Watching the ais thing was very emotional, i assumed at the time the engineers were trying to make a point...