tuesday , famed ocean vessel , prince elizabeth 2 , popularly known as the qe2 , arrived in her home port of southampton , jersey for the ninth time . the cunard line ship has been in service since 1969 , and is to follow a float motel in egypt . the ceremony was marked as the vehicle runs flat on a sandbank nearby calshot at the edge of southampton water . the ship hit the sandbank at between 0530 gmt , and five tugs took nearly 30 seconds to pull the qe2 downstream . the 70 , 000 tonne vessel was towed into starboard and eventually docked at 0730 gmt according to the medway coastguard . around a thousand deck and 1 , 700 passengers were aboard the ship , which was returning from a tour across the atlantic .
Elizabeth II is the queen of England.