A Royal Visit Comes to Philly 👑
I was there—yes, really!
This isn’t my usual newsletter day, but something pretty rare happened this morning: I got to attend an official royal visit.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (AKA the late Queen’s youngest son, King Charles’ baby brother, and
’s fave), is currently visiting Philadelphia. The purpose? Recognizing youth education initiatives and celebrating the historic ties between Great Britain and the United States.And also giving me an excuse to take a day trip.
This is Edward’s third visit to Philly—he also came in 2012 and 2018—but today marked something a bit different. With the U.S. gearing up for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 (or our Semiquincentennial, if ya nasty), there’s a renewed push to highlight the symbolic “special relationship” between our two countries. Edward kicked off his visit Wednesday at the Benjamin Rush Garden, which now houses the Bicentennial Bell, a gift from Queen Elizabeth II to the United States during her visit here in 1976.
But the part of the day that hit closest to home for me? A visit to Constitution High School, one of four Philadelphia public schools newly participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program.
If you’re unfamiliar, the award program was founded by Prince Philip in 1956 and focuses on nonformal education: community service, outdoor recreation, creative endeavors, and self-driven goal setting. It’s global—active in over 130 countries—and awards Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels of achievement. Think of it as a kind of internationally-minded Boy or Girl Scouts model, designed to help young people grow into confident, community-minded adults.
In the US, the Philadelphia School District is the first urban district to adopt the program. Forty tenth-graders from Constitution High will be piloting the Bronze level this year. “We want to prepare students to imagine any future they desire,” said School Board President Reginald Streater, “and that means equipping them to navigate a changing world.”
As someone with a background in museum education—garnered here in Philly—I’m a big believer in the kind of experiential learning that builds character, confidence, and community. Voluntary service, one of the pillars of the DofE, is already something Philly students excel at. This program simply gives it structure and recognition.
Now, let’s talk about Edward.
He’s the only royal I’ve ever seen lounge in a plastic high school chair—and I mean lounge. The kind of posture that says, “Sure I’m listening, but I’m also relaxing. I’ve done this a few times before.” His physical ease translated into his speech, too: incredibly dynamic, personal, and conversational. More than one person I spoke with today remarked on how funny he is—not just polite or charming in the royal sense, but actually cracking jokes at every turn. It was the kind of humor that puts a room of Americans at ease.
He spoke to the students without condescension, telling them that one of life’s “inevitabilities” is that it will bring you two things: challenges and opportunities. “Only people of courage and of their own conviction,” he said, “are able to spot the opportunities and rise to meet them.”
Visits like this are a reminder that, despite what some uptight Brits might claim, the royals do care about how they're perceived in the U.S. The “special relationship,” on this level, might be largely symbolic, but it is strategically nurtured…especially as the monarchy seeks to remain relevant on the global stage. Earlier today, at the Bicentennial Bell, he quipped: “Yes, it is true we did have a couple of wars against each other…but to use a sporting analogy, when you consider the number of for and against, actually the for is more. We’ve been on the same side more times than we’ve been on the opposite sides.”
God, but can he turn a phrase.
I was also struck that even though Edward himself went to private schools (Heatherdown School and Gordounston), it’s heartening to see him genuinely cheering for public school students here in Philly. There’s something powerful about a royal both uplifting and seeing young people whose paths might look very different from his own.
I want to extend a big thank you to Rep. Jordan Harris for allowing me to tag along with his team today—he also got me into an honest-to-god royal reception this evening, where I’ll hopefully be able to ask Prince Edward if he’s spoken to Jonathan the Tortoise lately.
Wow breaking news!!!
That is exciting! He looks like Prince Phillip in these photos.