THOUSANDS of sightseers were expected to pack Southampton's waterfront for a grandstand view of all three Cunard "Queen'' liners as they met in the city for the first and last time today.

Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 are all due to be in their home port at the same time for a historic meeting never to be repeated.

Last January the three liners were together in New York for what was then thought to be a one-off occasion but a change in QE2's schedule meant that the fleet would be together once again in Southampton.

At about 5pm Southampton's Mayflower Park was expected to be the best vantage point to see QM2 leave the Eastern Docks and position herself close to Queen Victoria and QE2, both berthed in the Western Docks.

In November, QE2 will leave Southampton for the last time at the end of a sea-going career that has spanned more than four decades to become a floating hotel and tourist attraction in Dubai.

Cunard's fleet will then be temporarily reduced during 2009 but the following year the arrival of the company's brand new vessel, Queen Elizabeth, a sister to ship to Queen Victoria, will again bring the number back to three.