RMS Queen Elizabeth | ‘European Rivals’ | (1/6)

By the late 1920s, Britain's Once Great Ocean Liners were beginning to get outdated, and in 1929 RMS Mauretania's Speed Record was surpassed by a German Ocean Liner. With New Challengers coming from Germany and Italy, and a New French Ocean Liner being built. Great Britain began planning to build two Gigantic Ocean Liners to stay competitive against their European Rivals. The White Star Line begins to Construct an Ocean Liner exceeding 1,000 Feet. And in December of 1930, Cunard began to construct an unnamed hull number 534 at the John Brown and Co Shipyard in Clydebank. But the Great Depression soon halted both projects, and the Cunard and White Star Line appealed to the British Government for Financial Support. But ultimately the Government decided that they could only support one major company and so they compelled the Two Rivals to Merge and form Cunard White Star Line on May 10, 1934. A loan was provided to complete Hull Number 534. The Vessel was launched on September 36, 1934. White Star Line's Plans for the RMS Oceanic were Scrapped. Cunard traditionally name their ships ‘ia’ like RMS Lusitania, and White Star Line named their ships ‘ic’ like RMS Titanic. There's a popular rumor that the newly formed company is informally controlled by Cunard and intended the name the vessel after Queen Victoria subtly keeping Cunard's ‘a’ naming convention. But when Cunard's Chairman Sir Percy Bates went to King George V to request Permission, he asked to name the new vessel after England's Greatest Queen. King George V responded ‘My Wife would be very delighted’ referring to the current Queen Mary of Teck. And so they had to name the new Ocean Liner ‘Queen Mary’ because the King requested it.

The RMS Queen Mary sailed for its Maiden Voyage on May 27, 1936. And would be immediately popular with the public and Capture the Speed Record from France's Vessel The SS Normandie in August of 1936. The Loan from Cunard White Star Line received included funds for a Second Vessel. On the Day of RMS Queen Mary's Maiden Voyage, Sir Percy Bates immediately went into planning to build a Second Vessel, and a contract to secure 5 million pounds to fund the Project was signed on October 6, 1936.

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