RMS Queen Mary History Pages

Queen Mary was Britain’s answer to an influx of new liners on the transatlantic run. Construction of Cunard’s Queen Mary was interrupted by the Great Depression, but following the merger of Cunard with White Star Line, work restarted, thanks to a British Government subsidy.

Queen Mary became the most beloved liner of the 1930s, and holder of the prestigious Blue Riband. A tribute to the finest British style and design, Queen Mary proudly served as a troop carrier during World War II.

Later employed as a war bride repatriation vessel, Queen Mary returned to Cunard service in 1947, inaugurating the first ever two-ship weekly transatlantic service in tandem with Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Mary sailed with Cunard until 1967, by which time the economies of passenger shipping was heavily impacted by jet airliners. Retired to Long Beach in California, Queen Mary remains open as a hotel ship, offering visitors to experience the greatest example of transatlantic history. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons.)

Learn about Queen Mary