FAMOUS faces were out in force as the Queen named Britannia at Southampton’s dockside.
Hundreds of people, including celebrity chefs, a Bond girl, television stars and sporting legends, attended the invitation-only bash to mark the naming of the giant liner.
>> The Britannia naming ceremony: In Pictures
A cloud of red, white and blue confetti was rained down on the dockside after the Queen sent an enormous sparkling white wine bottle crashing into the vessel’s hull.
In the build-up to the big moment the crowds had been entertained by a wide variety of acts, from gymnasts in inflatable zorbing balls to performances of rock classics by Queen and Journey by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
Welsh comedian Rob Brydon played master of ceremonies for the event, drawing laughter from the crowd when he compared the jumpsuits of The Tigers Parachute Display Team, who dropped into Southampton to mark Britannia’s entry into the port on Friday, with those of Kwikfit tyre-fitters.
Introducing Britannia he described the vessel as a “towering achievement” and “the biggest and best ship in the history of the British cruise industry”, adding: “A monumental amount of creativity, designing and engineering and sheer effort have gone into the creation of this remarkable vessel.”
Strictly Come Dancing stars Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite performed a specially-choreographed dance while show judge Darcy Bussell and show host Tess Daly were also in attendance and were interviewed by Brydon.
Nikki Clarke and Linda Robson
But they weren’t the only big names attending the bash. Celebrity chefs Marco Pierre White and James Martin donned their kitchen whites as they met the Queen, alongside baking star Eric Lanlard, Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar and wine expert Olly Smith.
Television presenter Anneka Rice, Birds of a Feather star Linda Robson and former Bond girl Fiona Fullerton were also among the big names at the event, alongside former British Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and legendary Olympian and five-time gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave.
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