Prince Edward to visit Philadelphia to dedicate historic bell, honor students

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, will embark on a two-day visit to Philadelphia Wednesday and Thursday to recognize youth education in the city, and to commemorate the historic ties between the U.S. and Great Britain.

This is Prince Edward’s third visit to Philadelphia, following his trips in 2012 and 2018. As a working royal, the prince promotes the benefits of nonformal education, and works to support the arts, heritage and conservation.

Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, will kick off his visit at the Benjamin Rush Garden to celebrate the Bicentennial Bell, which was gifted to the United States from Great Britain and Queen Elizabeth during her July 1976 visit marking the American Bicentennial.

The Benjamin Rush Garden was recently refurbished in time for the 2026 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the bell has been on display for public viewing since last year.

Independence Historical Trust, a nonprofit which preserves Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is hosting Wednesday’s dedication ceremony.

“We were excited to have a member of the Royal Family come to dedicate the garden and the new location of the bell,” said Tom Caramanico, executive director of the trust. “When it was up in the bell tower, when it was first given to us in 1976, you couldn’t see it. Now, you can see it and you can see the inscription on the bell. It really is beautiful.”

During his visit, Prince Edward will also attend an awards ceremony for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Founded in 1956 by his father, Prince Phillip, the youth program encourages personal development through community service, outdoor recreation, sports and endeavors such as music and art.

The program, which currently enrolls more than 1.3 million kids and young adults across 130 countries, rewards participants with medals as they reach certain milestones within the program.

Graduates of the program include valedictorians at prestigious universities, and even award-winning actors from Hugh Jackman to Benedict Cumberbatch.

“We think it builds tremendous habits and great leadership skills,” said Suzanne J. Currie, CEO of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award for the United States. “We think that having that badging on their curriculum is a very high certification of how well a student has done in terms of being habit-forming, stick-to-it-iveness, and so on. And it’s an incredible amount of fun.”

On Wednesday, teenagers from Philadelphia Outward Bound School, a nonprofit with national ties that offers active learning expeditions, will receive the prestigious award from Prince Edward himself during a ceremony at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.

Outward Bound School was founded by one of Prince Phillip’s teachers, Kurt Hahn, and the program is one of 34 in the U.S. licensed to participate in the program.

As one of the teens’ mentors, Jennifer Raymond has seen a lot of growth among the cohort.

“Seeing the students where they are now from where they started, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ it’s like the fruits of one’s labor and the hard work,” she said. “To see them at the end is amazing.”

Prince Edward will also visit Constitution High School in Center City, which is among four Philadelphia district high schools to enroll in the Duke of Edinburgh International Award this year.

“It is giving our students an opportunity to become true, greater citizens within their larger community, to think about a world beyond themselves, to really become the champions of that and to take on the ownership of that, and then to turn around and to give back and to contribute to the larger community around them,” said Jermaine Dawson, deputy superintendent for academic services at the Philadelphia School District.

During the second leg of his visit, Prince Edward will visit Philadelphia Youth Basketball, a youth development program that allows for personal development on and off the basketball court.

The prince will also meet faculty and staff at Temple University, where they will discuss nonformal education and learning.

Before heading to Philadelphia, Prince Edward will meet educational and community service leaders in New York, and meet participants of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program at a school in Newark, New Jersey.

Editor’s note: WHYY President and CEO Bill Marrazzo serves as chair of the Independence Historical Trust.