HMS Queen Elizabeth being referred to as QE2

[Rob Lightbody]

Various people on Twitter are referring to the controversial new British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as QE2.  I'm finding it annoying, and correcting them using our forum account, as I don't want it to be catching!!  HMSQE surely.

There will only ever be one QE2.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Various people on Twitter are referring to the controversial new British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as QE2.  I'm finding it annoying, and correcting them using our forum account, as I don't want it to be catching!!  HMSQE surely.

There will only ever be one QE2.

That is very annoying indeed. I would not want the name QE2 getting mixed up in military matters any more than absolutely unavoidable (the Falklands...).

[Twynkle]

Adam Boulter of SKY NEWS tweeted
'Please @JayeSeckerSky & me talking Coulson and Harris sentences, Tour de France and new HMS QE2 from 1pm on #boultonandco'

#shouldknowbetter

[Adam Ilgin]

I think "HMS QEII" would be more appropriate as Her Majesty is Queen Elizabeth the Second not Queen Elizabeth Two. Or of course just HMS QE would be most appropriate as the actual name does not have II or 2.

[June Ingram]

I do believe that the Roman numerals II can only be applied to a monarch, and that is why our QE2 was named "2" instead of "II".  But definitely, the new war ship should not be called QE2. 

[Adam Ilgin]

QE2 was named in honor of RMS Queen Elizabeth. If she had been named after the Queen, she would be QEII.

[June Ingram]

Hi Adam, I may need to be corrected, but it is my understanding that "II" can not be applied to an object such as a ship when a monarch carries the same designation.  Although as we all know, our beloved QE2 is not an object but very much a personality !  June   

[Adam Ilgin]

When Queen Mary was named, there was already a Clyde steamer named TS Queen Mary. Cunard negotiated with the steamer's owners to rename the steamer TS Queen Mary II. Also, when Queen Elizabeth was christening QE2, she called her "Queen Elizabeth the Second" after herself, even though she would later become "Queen Elizabeth Two". If Cunard had named her after the Queen, I'd think they would name her "Queen Elizabeth II" rather than "Queen Elizabeth the Second". Of course, I may be wrong. (As I have been in the past    )

[June Ingram]

Hi Adam - Thanks for your message.  It is all rather convoluted.  I do recall a definitive explanation of the naming and I am not sure if it is in Commodore Warwick's book or somewhere else.  We will have to search and find it.  There is in all probability a topic here on The Forum about it. June 

[Adam Ilgin]

Like I said, I may be wrong. That is just what I know. I don't think Cunard wanted QE2 to be called Queen Elizabeth the Second and changed it, I think it was a spur of the moment thing by the Queen. So maybe there is some maritime thing against Roman numerals, and the Queen didn't know about it.

[June Ingram]

Here we go.

http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/her_name.htm

June   

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Hi Adam - Thanks for your message.  It is all rather convoluted.  I do recall a definitive explanation of the naming and I am not sure if it is in Commodore Warwick's book or somewhere else.  We will have to search and find it.  There is in all probability a topic here on The Forum about it. June 

The topic you are looking for is here :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,3731.0.html

[Adam Ilgin]

I wonder why, then, the Queen launched her as "the Second"? From wikipedia, even though they are not very trustworthy: "The Queen launched the ship with the words "I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second,"[115] the normal short form of address of the monarch, Elizabeth II herself. The following day, the New York Times[116] and British Times printed the name as "Queen Elizabeth II", the short form of written style of the monarch. However, when the liner left the shipyard in 1968 she bore the name Queen Elizabeth 2 on her bow, and has continued to do so ever since." http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_2#Launch

[June Ingram]

The topic you are looking for is here :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,3731.0.html

Hi Isabelle -

Thank you very much for pointing us in the direction of the above link.  It explains it all and is very good reading !

June   

[Rob Lightbody]

We've covered her name in depth elsewhere but essentially the queen made a mistake and caused a massive stooshie in Scotland because she's only our first Queen Elizabeth.

QE2 - what's in her name - https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,3731.0.html