45 years ago Cunard's new liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, was launched by HM Queen Elizabeth II. In just over two years, from her keel laying on 5 July 1965, the John Brown shipyard assembled the hull of the QE2 on the slipway at their Clydeside yard. Throughout her construction the new Cunarder was known as 'Q4', but only at her launching ceremony was her name revealed to a waiting public.
At 2:28pm HM Queen Elizabeth II, standing on the launch platform, spoke clearly to the crowds gathered to witness the launch, announcing "I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second. May God Bless her and all who sail in her". A bottle of white wine was released to break against the side of the ship, starting the launch which took around 2½ minutes. The hull of the new liner travelled down the slipway, reaching a maximum 22mph.
In the water, the Queen Elizabeth 2 was greeted by a flypast by aircraft of the Royal Air Force with a main 13-ship formation of Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft from 736 Naval Air Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth.
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