Queen Elizabeth was a stable constant for most of the living world during times of great upheaval and strife, and harmony and innovation. She lived through nearly ten decades characterized most recently by war, pandemic and unprecedented advances in technology and other aspects of daily life. Her Majesty was not just a Queen, she was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and a renowned recognizable figurehead all over the globe. Despite her royal status, she was someone many could relate to and she was admired by people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and nationalities. Her Majesty the Queen steadfastly served the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth for nearly her entire life with grace and dignity.
Queen Elizabeth was a cultural icon. She was famous in the most informal of circles such as memes circulating the Internet as well as the formally dressed crowned figurehead waving to crowds of onlookers over the balcony or to private audiences from her throne at Buckingham Palace. The Queen oversaw countless garden parties and special events under the fanciest and highest brow circumstances. She appeared in commercials with celebrities for globally televised sporting events, enjoyed riding horses, going to horse races, and playing with her dogs. She also loved traveling.
Princess Elizabeth’s destiny as Queen was sealed while traveling abroad. She was in Kenya when she learned of the passing of her father and was just 25 years old when she inherited the throne. Meeting world leaders and building diplomatic relationships were very important aspects of her job. She was the most well-traveled monarch in history and was referred to as the “million-mile queen.” She visited 117 countries during her reign, carrying out 290 state visits since her coronation in 1952.
In 1976, Queen Elizabeth was the first sitting monarch to visit Philadelphia. It was the first stop on a six-day trip around the United States in honor of America’s bicentennial celebration. She arrived by boat, in the Royal Yacht Britannia to Penn’s Landing on the morning of July 6. Queen Elizabeth presented the city with a birthday gift for the United States: the Bicentennial Bell, a ten-ton replica of the Liberty Bell cast at London’s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, where the original Liberty Bell was made in 1752.
Her Majesty the Queen enjoyed a whirlwind, one-day tour of Philadelphia, capped off with a 300-person dinner party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. On January 27, 2007, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, visited Philadelphia, and on April 27, 2012, Prince Edward joined the BABCPHL for a special reception in the city. Throughout the years, Philadelphia also welcomed other members of the Royal Family, including the Duke of Kent in 1996, the Duke of York for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Duke of Gloucester in 2010, and the Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) again in 2018. The BABCPHL looks forward to future visits and interactions with the monarchy.
We express our sincere condolences to His Majesty King Charles III and to the entire Royal Family, of which Queen Elizabeth was the revered figurehead. Her Majesty the Queen was truly a global icon, who led by example with grace and dignity. She will be missed and always remembered. May she rest in peace.
