IN peace and war she loyally served the nation and, for the last 40 years, has been Southampton’s finest ambassador.

But tomorrow will be the last chance to say goodbye to the world’s most famous liner.

Ever since that day back in 1968 when Queen Elizabeth 2 sailed up Southampton Water for the first time, the great Cunard ship has found herself a unique berth in the heart of the city.

With the name of Southampton emblazoned on her stern she boosted her home port’s reputation wherever she went in the world, a fact recognised when the council bestowed its highest honour by granting the ship and crew the freedom of the city.

However, all this comes to an end when QE2 begins her last voyage, a one-way trip to Dubai where she will be converted into a floating hotel and tourist attraction, at 7.15pm tomorrow.

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Earlier, before dawn, QE2 will make her way into the Eastern Docks to come alongside 38/9 berth where the ship will spend the day preparing to take her leave of the city where she has become such a familiar sight over the last four decades.

When the time for her departure arrives, QE2’s master, Captain Ian McNaught, will be on the bridge as she moves away from the dockside but instead of immediately heading down Southampton Water, as usual, the ship will be manoeuvred back towards Mayflower Park.

As maritime custom demands, high above on QE2’s mast, a long paying-off pennant will be hoisted, a traditional signal that the vessel is coming to the end of her seagoing days.

Once in position, people along the waterfront will have a remarkable sight of QE2, her lights twinkling in the dark and floodlights illuminating her iconic funnel, as a glittering firework display cascades over her decks As the last firework fizzles and dies, QE2’s powerful whistles, which can be heard ten miles away, will boom out a final salute to Southampton, the city and its people, before she leaves, never to return again.

QE2, her ship’s rails packed with passengers as she gathers speed, will make her way past Town Quay, Hythe and Netley before turning at Calshot and setting a course for the Channel, and the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal to finally reach Dubai 16 days later.

When Cunard announced last year the ship was to be sold for £50m to Dubai all 1,700 berths on QE2’s final voyage were sold within 30 minutes of going on sale.

During a career, unequalled in maritime history, QE2 has played host on many royal occasions and the ship’s final day in Southampton is to be no exception.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who was with the Queen when she launched and named the ship in September, 1967, is due to be on board to say a personal “Goodbye’’ to the ship and her crew.

During his visit, the duke will officially hand over, on behalf of Cunard, a specially commissioned painting of QE2, to Southampton as a mark of the liner’s many years in the city and her close links with the port.

It was in 1982 that QE2 was requisitioned by the Government and called-up for military duty as a troopship during the Falklands conflict and then in 1995 she took Second World War veterans of D-Day back to the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the invasion’s 50th anniversary.

Among the many famous names to have travelled on QE2 are former astronaut and moon-walker, Buzz Aldrin, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, show business superstars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Rock Hudson, Dean Martin, Peter Sellers and Frank Sinatra.