Royal Visit

His Royal Highness The Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GCVO will be in Philadelphia from Wednesday, April 30 – Thursday, May 1, 2025 for the rededication of the Bicentennial Bell Garden at 3^rd and Walnut Streets in Independence National Historical Park. Independence National Historical Trust is hosting the two-day visit, and the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia is partnering with Carpenters’ Hall to offer a lunch in Carpenters’ Hall to raise money for the Young People’s Continental Congress. Throughout HRH’s two-day stay, there will also be an event at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum and a reception and dinner at the Down Town Club to raise money for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award USA.

Nearly half a century ago, in honor of America’s 200^th birthday, Her Majesty The Late Queen Elizabeth II, presented the City of Philadelphia with the Bicentennial Bell, symbolizing the enduring friendship, and strong cultural, political and economic ties between the US and the UK. In 2013, The Bicentennial Bell was put into storage, while its new home at 3^rd and Walnut streets was being designed. On July 12, 2024, Hannah Young, His Majesty’s Consul General joined us in Philadelphia for the ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome the return and reinstallation of the bell.

The Bicentennial Bell, five times heavier than the Liberty Bell, sits proudly atop a beautifully designed arch surrounded by flowers in the historic Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. The garden features plants that the US and UK exchanged in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The garden where the bell sits has been completely restored. It is a great honor to welcome HRH Prince Edward to rededicate the park in honor of his late mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, April 30^th.