RMS Queen Elizabeth was sold to the city of Long Beach, California. "Queen Elizabeth" was sold to a succession of buyers, most of whom had unsuccessful plans for her. Finally "Queen Elizabeth" was sold to Hong Kong businessman Tung Chao Yung, who intended to convert her into a floating university cruise ship called Seawise University. In 1972, while undergoing refurbishment in Hong Kong harbour, fire broke out aboard under unexplained circumstances and the ship was capsized by the water used to fight the fire. In 1973, the wreck was deemed an obstruction to shipping in the area, and so was partially scrapped where
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) prior to the ship returning to sea. During the stopover at Invergordon, "Queen Elizabeth" encountered the cruise liner of the same name, which was on a cruise around the British Isles. On 8 August 2017, "Queen Elizabeth" diverted from her sea trials to rendezvous with the ships engaged in Exercise 'Saxon Warrior'; this allowed for a photo exercise in company with the American and her battle group, comprising , , , and HNoMS "Helge Ingstad". "Queen Elizabeth" was scheduled to return to Rosyth at the end of July for rectification work based on the results of the ship's first sea