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Chamber and committees

Celebrating 90 Years since the Launch of RMS Queen Mary

  • Submitted by: Marie McNair, Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party.
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
  • Motion reference: S6M-14729

That the Parliament recognises that it has been 90 years since the famous Cunard ocean liner RMS Queen Mary was launched at John Brown and Company in Clydebank on 26 September 1934, after nearly four years of construction; understands that the ship then spent a further two years being fitted out, until March 1936, when she left the shipyard for her sea trials, with her maiden voyage taking place on 27 May 1936; further understands that she then won the Blue Riband from SS Normandie, crossing the Atlantic with average speeds of 30.14 knots westbound and 30.63 knots eastbound, before losing it in 1937; notes that RMS Queen Mary then recaptured the Blue Riband again in 1938 and held the title of fastest passenger liner until 1952; further notes that the liner was retired from service in 1967 and moored in Long Beach, California, as a tourist attraction, after travelling over 3.7 million miles and carrying over 2.1 million passengers; considers that the ship remains a symbol of pride for "Bankies" who have long celebrated the town’s shipbuilding heritage, with many of their relatives having worked on the construction; welcomes that the world-renowned liner has recently undergone a significant restoration that saved the ship from flooding or capsizing, and hopes that "Hull 534", as she was known when on the slipway at John Browns, will be around for many years to come as many millions of people from around the world continue to visit her.


Supported by: Karen Adam, Jackie Baillie, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Stephanie Callaghan, Finlay Carson, Sharon Dowey, Jackie Dunbar, Pam Duncan-Glancy, Annabelle Ewing, Pam Gosal, Emma Harper, Bill Kidd, Fulton MacGregor, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Sue Webber, Annie Wells