She's home!

Thousands of people lined Southampton Water today for the arrival of Cunard’s newest ship, Queen Elizabeth.

The vessel passed the city’s Mayflower Park at 7.45am and turned before berthing at the Ocean Terminal in the Eastern Docks.

A flotilla of smaller boats blasting their whistles turned out to escort the ship up Southampton Water.

Passengers of the Saga Pearl II berthed in the city also came out on deck to wave as Queen Elizabeth passed.

The Queen will officially name the cruise ship in a spectacular quayside ceremony in Southampton Docks on Monday in front of thousands of specially invited guests.

The third Cunard Queen to bear the name Elizabeth, will, after the naming ceremony, join vessels Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria based in Southampton.

As she undertakes this latest ceremony, the Queen will be recreating one of the most famous events of her long reign, when back in September 1967, she named the new vessel’s world famous predecessor, the legendary, Queen Elizabeth 2.

Built in Italy, the new ship is the sixth Cunard Queen in the company’s 170-year history and, at more than 92,000 tons, the second largest vessel ever built for the line.

To celebrate the naming, Southampton City Council is hosting a series of free events.

Guildhall Square will be the scene of an Elizabethan Experience on Saturday and Sunday from 11am with demonstrations of music, dancing and sword fighting by costumed characters.

Tribute band The Kings of Queen will perform Queen’s greatest hits on Sunday from 7.30pm, after creative sessions for children at the Maritime Museum from 11.30am-3.30pm.

The naming ceremony will be broadcast live on a big screen in Guildhall Square on Monday from 3.25pm.

Queen Elizabeth will leave on her maiden voyage, a 13-night cruise to the Canary Islands, on Tuesday.