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Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, kicked off a two-day visit to Philadelphia Wednesday at the Benjamin Rush Garden in Independence National Historic Park to celebrate the Bicentennial Bell.

The prince, the youngest sibling of King Charles III, laid a bouquet of purple flowers at the base of a plaque in the garden that honors his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The bell was gifted to the United States from Great Britain and Queen Elizabeth during her July 1976 visit marking the American Bicentennial. The occasion was the first time a sitting monarch visited Philadelphia, and the gift was meant to represent fellowship between the two nations.

“It is a reminder of what unites, and what unites is far more important than what divides. And it is in many different ways — it is those cultural links, it is those educational links, it is those economic links, it is the security links, it’s those business links. There are so many things that unite our two peoples and nations,” Prince Edward said during the dedication.

“When her late majesty presented this bell, she expressed several wishes … but I think the three that stand out are freedom, peace and friendship. But of those three, friendship is the most important.”

The Benjamin Rush Garden has been refurbished in anticipation of the 2026 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the bell has been on display for public viewing for the first time since last year. The bell, cast in the same London foundry as the Liberty Bell, was initially housed inside the bell tower at the former park visitor center on 3rd Street.

The bell was removed in 2013 and stored for 11 years while the park and the Independence Historical Trust worked to raise philanthropic funds to revitalize Benjamin Rush Garden, with the bell as its new centerpiece.

“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 Independence Historical Trust, a nonprofit which preserves Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

“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.”

Mayor Cherelle Parker, along with park officials, attended the ceremony to celebrate the late queen’s legacy and the allyship between the U.S. and Great Britain.

“[The bell] rings not only with the sound of liberty, but with the enduring spirit of the special friendship between our two nations,” Parker said. “Its rededication in the newly renovated Benjamin Rush Garden, it is more than just a ceremonial event. It is, for us, a reaffirmation of the values we continue to hold dear. They are democracy, resilience and mutual respect.”

This is Prince Edward’s third visit to Philadelphia, following his trips in 2012 and 2018.

His next stops include honoring local students with the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award on Wednesday, and visiting the Philadelphia Youth Basketball program and Temple University on Thursday.

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