Merseyside Police prepares to help welcome visitors to Queen Anne naming event at Liverpool waterfront

Merseyside Police is getting ready to help welcome thousands of visitors to the Pier Head to enjoy a naming ceremony for Cunard’s newest ship. 

The event will take place on Monday 3 June when the vessel, Queen Anne, will arrive in Liverpool to be officially named.

The ship is expected to be visible in Liverpool from around 7.30am and the event will begin at 2.30pm.

The naming ceremony is scheduled to start from 4pm, hosted by musician Matt Willis and his wife, TV presenter Emma Willis. They will be joined on stage by special guests and the official Godparent for the naming of Queen Anne, a moment that is signified by the traditional smashing of a bottle of Champagne against the ship. The event will draw to a close with a performance from Andrea Bocelli.

There will then be additional performances from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, DJ Lauren Lo Sung and Craig Charles.

The evening will end with a fireworks finale for Queen Anne’s sail away moment at around 10pm. 

Princes Parade will be closed on the day (Monday 3 June) and the Pier Head will also be closed from tomorrow (Saturday 1 June) to Monday.

Superintendent Phil Mullally said: "The official naming of Queen Anne promises to be a spectacular event for Merseyside and once again the eyes of the world will be on our fabulous city.

"Merseyside has a long history of putting on big events like this and we have been working with partners including Cunard and Liverpool City Council over a long period of time to plan the policing operation. We will use a variety of policing tactics including highly visible police patrols and less visible measures such as plain-clothes officers to ensure this is a safe and enjoyable occasion for all involved.

"We are expecting large crowds for what should be a memorable event of celebration. As with any large event, we remind the public to be vigilant, trust their instincts and report any suspicious or unusual activity. Officers will be on duty throughout the event to provide help, advice and reassurance and we are looking forward to playing our part.”

Visitors are advised to follow some simple steps to help protect their belongings and keep people safe:

• Please always follow all directions or instructions given by police officers and the event safety stewards
• Don't leave your property, including bags and mobile phones, unattended and keep valuables close at all times
• Keep wallets, purses and cash safe and out of sight
• Keep children close by as there will be large crowds in the vicinity of open water
• Report anything that you see or hear that doesn’t feel right – this would be anything that seems out of place, unusual or doesn’t seem to fit in with day-to-day life
• Report suspicious activity immediately to an event safety steward or police officer or call 101
• In an emergency, always call 999

Superintendent Mullally added: "The number of visitors expected means the transport network will be extremely busy and, along with our partners, we are encouraging people to start planning their journeys now if they haven't done already and to think about the mode of transport they are going to use.

"The main message from all the travel organisations is to plan ahead and be prepared. Travel updates and alerts will be posted on the Merseytravel website and their social media channels.”