Built in the Harland & Wolff yards in Belfast under hull number 337, she was launched in Belfast on 21 August 1902, in a private ceremony which included several guests, amongst others William Pirrie, the chairman of Harland and Wolff and Bruce Ismay, chairman of White Star Line.
bˈɪlt ɪnðə hˈɑːɹlənd ænd wˈʊlff jˈɑːɹdz ɪn bˈɛlfæst ˌʌndɚ hˈʌl nˈʌmbɚ θɹˈiːhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi sˈɛvən, ʃiː wʌz lˈɑːntʃt ɪn bˈɛlfæst ˌɔn twˈɛnti wˈʌn ˈɔːɡəst nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd tˈuː, ɪn ɐ pɹˈaɪvət sˈɛɹᵻməni wˌɪtʃ ɪŋklˈuːdᵻd sˈɛvɹəl ɡˈɛsts, ɐmˌʌŋst ˈʌðɚz wˈɪljəm pˈɜːɹi, ðə tʃˈɛɹmən ʌv hˈɑːɹlənd ænd wˈʊlff ænd bɹˈuːs ˈɪsmeɪ, tʃˈɛɹmən ʌv wˈaɪt stˈɑːɹ lˈaɪn.