She was built as the Prince of Fundy in 1970 by Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser, AG, in Bremerhaven, Germany, for the Lion Ferry service between Portland, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

In 1976, Lion Ferry moved the ship to the Varberg - Grenå route between 27 November 1976 and March 1978.

On 30 December 1988, she was renamed Reine Mathilde in preparation for her transfer to the Portsmouth-Caen (Ouistreham) route alongside the Duc de Normandie.

In 1991, prior to the arrival of the Normandie, the Reine Mathilde was retired from service with Brittany Ferries and sold.

Beauport was laid up in Southampton until mid-1994 when she was chartered to the Stern Maritime Line for its Bari - Çeşme route.