Prince Edward to Visit Philadelphia for Bicentennial Bell Dedication

Buckingham Palace has announced that Prince Edward will be visiting Philadelphia for a two-day trip on April 30th and May 1st. The 61-year-old Duke of Edinburgh will be traveling to the United States for a series of special engagements. He is scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia on the morning of April 30th. The visit will encompass several public and private events throughout the city over the two days.

The main public event of the visit, organized by the Independence National Historical Trust, will be the dedication of Philadelphia’s Bicentennial Bell in Old City. The bell was a gift from the people of Great Britain to the United States in 1976, commemorating the 200th anniversary of American independence. The Bicentennial Bell, weighing 12,000 lbs, was cast at the Whitechapel Foundry in London, the same foundry that produced Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell in 1751. The Duke's itinerary will also include visits to Carpenters’ Hall, the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, and Temple University’s Charles Library. He has previously visited Philadelphia on two occasions, in 2012 and 2018.

As a working member of the Royal Family, Prince Edward supports nonformal education, the arts, heritage, and conservation. The Independence Historical Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is hosting the dedication ceremony. Tom Caramanico, the executive director of the trust, expressed excitement about the royal visit and the dedication of the bell's new location, highlighting its improved visibility and the beauty of its inscription.