Three Cunard ocean liners have sailed together along the Mersey to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the shipping line’s formation in Liverpool.

The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria choreographed their manoeuvres, including 180-degree turns, as they arrived side by side in the city.

Thousands of people lined the shores to witness the spectacle on Monday, with many arriving early to secure a prime spot.

The so-called 'river dance' was followed by a flypast from the Red Arrows.

A firework display will end the display, which is the culmination of three days of maritime exhibitions and events.

Cunard was founded in 1840, when Sir Samuel Cunard’s mail steamship RMS Britannia began its transatlantic service to Halifax and Boston from Liverpool.

The transatlantic shipping trade transported about 11 million emigrants from Europe between 1860 and 1900, about a third of them sailing out of Liverpool.

Later this year, the original Cunard crossing will be recreated as the Queen Mary 2 sails from Liverpool on the same route the Britannia took, to Halifax, Boston and New York.

Source: TheGuardian