STARS of stage, screen, and sport and celebrity chefs will mingle with the hundreds of specially invited guests who will watch the Queen officially name Southampton’s newest cruise ship in the city next Tuesday.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen will say the famous words “I name this ship...” as she sends a giant bottle of British sparkling wine crashing against the huge hull of P&O Cruises’ 141,000 ton vessel Britannia in the Eastern Docks.

Britannia is due to arrive for the first time at the Ocean Terminal this Friday, signalling the start of almost two weeks of special events as the ship and her crew prepare for her maiden voyage from her home berth on Saturday, March 14.

Among the famous names expected to attend the dockside ceremony will be Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcy Bussell, who previously named another Southampton-based P&O Cruises’ ship, Azura, together with Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite, two of the top dancers from the BBC hit programme.

Also set to appear is former Bond girl Fiona Fullerton, probably best known for her role as KGB spy Pola Ivanova in the 1985 film A View to a Kill, who also was a guest celebrity dancer in Strictly Come Dancing two years ago.

Another television favourite, actress Anne Reid, remembered for her performance as Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street, Jean in Dinnerladies and recently as Celia Dawson in Last Tango in Halifax is also on the guest list for the dockside ceremony at the Ocean Terminal.

Daily Echo:

Britannia

Other celebrities due to step aboard Britannia are Mark Foster, one of the most successful British swimmers of all time, Linda Robson from the sitcom Birds of a Feather, TV presenter Anneka Rice, and Rob Brydon, the Welsh actor and comedian, who is fronting P&O Cruises’ current advert.

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Rob Brydon

Some of the best known celebrity chefs and wine experts, including Marco Pierre White, James Martin, “Spice Master” Atul Kochhar, “Cake Boy” Eric Lanlard and Olly Smith are also all set to be among the guests on Britannia.