tuesday , notable atlantic coaster , queen elizabeth 2 , colloquially famous as the qe2 , arrive in her former port of southampton , england for the third time . the cunard line yacht has been in fleet since 1969 , and is to become a seaside hotel in dubai . the homecoming was marred as the ferry ran smack on a sandbank opposite calshot at the mouth of southampton water . the yacht met the sandbank at almost 0530 gmt , and its divers took over 30 minutes to lift the qe2 up . the 70 , 000 tonne vessel was towed into sea and gradually docked at 0730 gmt according to the solent coastguard . approximately a thousand people and 1 , 700 passengers were aboard the ship , which was arriving from a cruises around the mediterranean .
Elizabeth II is the queen of England.