Photo courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Mount Vernon.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh visited George Washington’s Mount Vernon today as part of a visit to the United States marking America’s 250th anniversary. Accompanied by British Ambassador to the United States Sir Christian Turner, the Duke toured the historic estate, met with historical experts, and laid a wreath at George Washington’s Tomb.
The visit marked a return to Mount Vernon for His Royal Highness, who previously visited the estate in 2001 as the Earl of Wessex.
Photo courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Mount Vernon Thursday.
“The Duke of Edinburgh coming to Washington and Mount Vernon gives us an opportunity to really think about the story of Washington, of everything that happened 250 years ago,” said Ambassador Sir Christian Turner.
“Washington's example of principled leadership, that stepping away from public life when he stood down for the presidency, which probably now seems relatively uncontroversial, but then was really quite radical. That story is a really extraordinary one. And so much of what we've seen in the house, in the library, is English at its core and its roots. So it brings me back to that sense of us being joined together. The Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Mount Vernon reminds us why that relationship is vital. It's enduring. It's consequential. We're still family. As His Majesty the King said in his address to Congress, it's a moment to step up and back, and remind us that the relationship is bigger than an ambassador, a president, a duke, a secretary of state, and it's those ties and those connections that stretch back in history and stretch forward."
Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies Association
The Duke of Edinburgh visits with volunteers and docents at Mount Vernon.
“We wanted His Royal Highness to experience the breadth of Mount Vernon—from Washington’s home and the Revolutionary War encampment to our new Education Center and the scholarship of the Washington Library,” said Doug Bradburn, president and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies Association
The Duke of Edinburgh visits Mount Vernon Thursday.
“Together, these experiences offer a full picture of Washington as a military leader, president, and entrepreneur, and of the world in which he lived. As we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, this visit also offered an opportunity to reflect on how our nations moved from Revolutionary War adversaries to trusted allies, as well as the history and friendship at the heart of the special relationship between the United States and Britain.”
“The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association has a storied history of welcoming the British royal family to Washington’s home, and we were honored to continue that tradition today,” said Anne Neal Petri, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “As America marks 250 years of independence, His Royal Highness’s visit reminds us that preserving his estate does more than safeguard our past. It brings people together across generations and nations to explore our shared history between the United States and Britain.”
The Duke began the morning with a tour of Mount Vernon’s new Education Center led by Allison Wickens, vice president of education. He then toured the Mansion with Bradburn and Adam Erby, executive director of historic preservation and collections.
Jeremy Ray, senior director of interpretation, guided His Royal Highness through a Revolutionary War encampment. The Duke then paid tribute to America’s first president by laying a wreath at Washington’s Tomb in a ceremony led by Bradburn.
At the George Washington Presidential Library, Executive Director Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky provided His Royal Highness with a tour that included viewing historical materials. The Library houses rare books, manuscripts, and Revolutionary War maps, including volumes from Washington’s personal library, and serves as a center for research into his life and the founding era.
Photo courtesy of Mount Vernon Ladies Association.
The Duke of Edinburgh visits the distillery Thursday.
The visit concluded at the Library with a whiskey presentation. His Royal Highness received an overview of Washington’s distilling history and the varieties available today, including the special Spirit of ’76 bourbon released to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. The Duke and Ambassador sampled Mount Vernon’s whiskey.
The Mount Vernon visit was part of a broader itinerary in the United States and Canada focused on commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, championing the arts, and empowering young people.
Mount Vernon has welcomed generations of the British royal family, including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939; Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1951 and 1991; and King Charles III, who visited as Prince of Wales with Princess Anne in 1970 and returned with Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, in 2015.
Mount Vernon remained open to the public during today’s historic visit.
