REGISTERED cover France - GB 2003 "Departure of the 'QUEEN MARY 2' escorted by the Patrouille de France" (QM2-2a)

December 22, 2003 - The Queen Mary 2, the world's largest ocean liner, departs Saint-Nazaire escorted by the "Patrouille de France"

After the "Normandie" in 1935 and the "France" in 1962, the "Queen Mary 2," the largest and most prestigious ocean liner ever built, departed the Chantiers Navals de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire on December 22, 2003.

For this occasion, the French Post Office issued a special postage stamp with a "First Day" cancellation on December 12.

Following the delivery ceremony of the giant liner by Chantiers Navals de l'Atlantique (Alstom Marine) to the British shipowner Cunard, the “Queen Mary 2” finally left the port of Saint-Nazaire to return to its home port of Southampton, escorted by the “Patrouille de France” in the Loire estuary.