She was built in 1929 by John Brown Shipbuilders, Clydebank, as the three-funnelled DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, a 1570-passenger liner of Canadian Pacific Steamships and served on their Liverpool to Canada service.
In 1940, during World War 2, she was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport and converted to a Troopship.
1947 saw DUCHESS OF RICHMOND returned to Canadian Pacific.and they sent her to Fairfield Shipyard, Glasgow, and had her overhauled and refitted and renamed, emerging as the two-funnelled EMPRESS OF CANADA, and now carrying the buff-coloured funnels with the red and white chequers.
On 25th January 1953, while berthed at Liverpool, she caught fire and was totally burned and then capsized onto the dockside. The wreck was later righted, and in October that year was towed to Italy for demolition.