QUEEN Mary 2’s voyage to Liverpool marked the highlight of an historic lap of honour around the British Isles to mark the fifth anniversary of the liner entering service.

She let go her ropes at home port Southampton shortly after 5pm last Thursday afternoon, bound for South Queensferry in the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh.

It was a first leg voyage of 460 nautical miles.

Throughout Friday, Commodore Bernard Warner and his Bridge team navigated a course close to famous east coast landmarks and resorts along the shore of Yorkshire and Northumberland.

Off Spurn Head, at the mouth of the River Humber, QM2 took a course towards the famous landmarks of Flamborough Head, Filey and Scarborough. Strong winds and a heavy sea prevented many small private craft from joining the sail-past, but ashore thousands of well-wishers were visible from QM2’s vast decks.

Long blasts on the ship’s whistle punctuated the passage along the coastline.

At Whitby, crowds could be seen in the resort’s famous cliff-top ruins while, at nearby Sandsend, more crowds had waited patiently on the beach.

The vessel passed the distinctive twin quays at the mouth of the River Tyne shortly before sunset on Friday evening with helicopters and light aircraft following.