{"id":286498,"date":"2026-07-04T04:36:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T04:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/286498\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T04:36:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T04:36:45","slug":"when-queen-elizabeth-brought-joy-to-america-on-its-bicentennial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/286498\/","title":{"rendered":"When Queen Elizabeth Brought Joy to America on Its Bicentennial"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Queen Elizabeth II in Philadelphia after donating a \u201cBicentennial Bell\u201d to the United States, July 6, 1976<\/p>\n

In July 1976, the United States was in a mood to celebrate its founding with a sweeping Bicentennial celebration featuring fireworks, a parade of tall ships, and a visit by the great-great-great-great granddaughter of George III, the king who was humbled by America\u2019s forefathers. Queen Elizabeth II stopped in seven cities over six hectic days, following the guidance of her favorite private secretary, Martin Charteris, to \u201cspread a carpet of happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Queen looked as lovely as ever at age 50, and 55-year-old year old Prince Philip still made women\u2019s hearts flutter. She was on the cusp of celebrating her Silver Jubilee marking 25 years on the throne, and her family seemed in good form. Twenty-seven-year-old Prince Charles was serving as an officer in the Royal Navy, Prince Andrew at 16 was attending Gordonstoun School in Scotland, and her youngest, 12-year-old Prince Edward, was a boarding student at Heatherdown Preparatory School. Her only daughter, 25-year-old Princess Anne\u2014married since 1973\u2014had been selected to compete for England in equestrian events at the Summer Olympics in Canada to be opened by the Queen in mid-July.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould conspicuously lack dignity\u201d<\/p>\n

President Gerald Ford, a genial and moderate Republican, was delighted to host Elizabeth II and strengthen Anglo-American relations. The mood of the nation was largely civil and settled after the tumult of the Watergate scandals, the resignation of Richard Nixon, and the end of the Vietnam War. When the visit was first proposed in 1972, British officials were dubious. Rowland Baring, the 3rd Earl of Cromer, the British Ambassador to the United States, had worried about \u201ca certain degree of uninhibited zest about the American celebrations of the Declaration of Independence with which it might not be entirely desirable that The Queen should be associated.\u201d He was concerned that the Bicentennial \u201cwould conspicuously lack dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and her advisers disagreed, and she happily accepted America\u2019s invitation in the spring of 1975. She would arrive in Philadelphia on Tuesday July 6, 1976, finessing the actual day commemorating American independence from England. \u201cJuly 4th was really pushing it,\u201d wrote David Walker of the British Embassy in Washington. \u201cForgiveness can only go so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Queen\u2019s floating country house<\/p>\n

The Queen, Prince Philip, and an entourage of 20 flew first to Bermuda. Among them was Virginia Airlie, the only American lady-in-waiting, who was married to the 13th Earl of Airlie, a friend of the Queen\u2019s since childhood. (Farewell to the Only American lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II<\/a>, Royals Extra, August 24, 2024) They then traveled to the United States on the Royal Yacht Britannia, the iconic 412-foot-long symbol of the monarchy that was retired in 1997 and now draws tourists to her berth in Edinburgh. The ship doubled as the Queen\u2019s floating country house where she could deploy soft power before that term was invented, hosting dinners, lunches, receptions, and meetings wherever the ship docked.<\/p>\n

The tour was jammed with engagements from morning until late at night and brimming with memorable occasions. Today as America celebrates its Semiquincentennial, I\u2019d like to share some of my favorite moments\u2014private as well as public\u2014from the Queen\u2019s historic visit five decades ago.<\/p>\n

In the Spirit of \u201976, I am providing this Royals Extra in full to all my subscribers, without a paywall. I am also offering an Independence Day sale, with a paid subscription discount of 20 per cent\u2014$48 a year or $5 a month\u2014that will be in effect for the next two weeks. I hope my free subscribers take advantage of this offer and become paying subscribers\u2014support that makes Royals Extra possible. At the end of the sale, the price will revert to $60 a year and $6 a month, the cost since Royals Extra began in March 2023.<\/p>\n

This is my 186th Royals Extra, a number I never envisioned when I started writing on Substack. I have always promised my subscribers that I would take you beyond the headlines and offer perspective and information about the British royal family you can\u2019t find elsewhere. I would be so pleased if more of you are able to step up to paid subscriptions so you can read each Royals Extra in its entirety and have access to its archives. To all of my subscribers, please accept my gratitude as well as a salute to 250 years of American independence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip arriving in Philadelphia to kick off their Bicentennial tour, July 6, 1976<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lacked that statesmanship\u201d<\/p>\n

Disembarking from Britannia in Philadelphia, where William Penn landed in 1682 after sailing from England to establish the colony of Pennsylvania, the Queen and Prince Philip were greeted by 5,000 exuberant admirers on the dock waving American and British flags. The monarch and her consort were driven to Independence National Park, where an estimated 75,000 people watched the Queen donate a new 6-ton Bicentennial Bell cast in the Whitechapel foundry in London that had made the original Liberty Bell in 1752. In her remarks, she expressed \u201csincere gratitude to the founding fathers of the great republic for having taught Britain a very valuable lesson. We lost the American colonies because,\u201d she said, adapting language from a speech by Edmund Burke in 1780, \u201cwe lacked that statesmanship \u2018to know the right time, and the manner of yielding what is impossible to keep.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She hosted a luncheon on Britannia and visited historic sites including Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed. That night she was the guest of honor at a dinner for 400 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Her dinner partner was Philadelphia\u2019s flamboyant mayor, Frank Rizzo. Defying protocol, he wandered off to work the room, greeting other guests. Two of her ladies-in-waiting were incensed, but Elizabeth was unfazed, saying only, \u201cWhat a fascinating man he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne plants one\u2019s feet like this\u201d<\/p>\n

Susan Crosland, the American wife of Britain\u2019s new foreign secretary, Anthony Crosland, marveled that \u201cthe Queen never faltered in the day\u2019s walk-about under remorseless sun.\u201d On Britannia the night before they landed, Elizabeth instructed Susan on how to maintain her stamina through long stretches of standing at receptions and other events. Recalling the moment in her memoir, Crosland wrote, \u201c\u2018One plants one\u2019s feet like this,\u2019 Her Majesty said, hoisting her skirt above her ankles to show. \u2018Always keep them parallel, make sure your weight is evenly distributed. That\u2019s all there is to it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The royal party was flown to Washington, DC on the 7th for a hectic 48-hour stay. They landed in a helicopter near the Washington Monument as the temperature rose near 90, and they proceeded to the South Lawn of the White House for the Presidential welcoming ceremony. Brass bands played \u201cRule Britannia,\u201d and there were so many photographers that some of them sat on tree branches.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>At the welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, President Gerald Ford had to turn his back to the Queen while giving his speech, July 7, 1976<\/p>\n

The arrangement of the platform resulted in an awkward situation for the Queen when President Ford had to turn his back on her as he made his remarks. When her turn came, she tried to position herself at an angle, glancing at him periodically over her shoulder. Neither of the two leaders seemed to mind, and they both spoke cordially about the importance of Anglo-American friendship.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The state dinner in a tent over the White House Rose Garden, July 8, 1976<\/p>\n

Julia Child appeared<\/p>\n

For the white-tie state dinner that night, the Fords covered the White House Rose Garden with a large tent (mercifully air conditioned) illuminated by oversize Japanese lanterns. The 224 guests included British-born Hollywood stars Merle Oberon, Cary Grant, and Bob Hope. Earlier in the day, Julia Child appeared with a television crew in the White House kitchen and made a film on how Executive Chef Henry Haller prepared the food. The menu featured glazed New England lobster with black truffles, stuffed saddle of veal, and ice cream with raspberries. The Queen wore a yellow organza evening dress and a stunning diamond tiara, necklace, and earrings.<\/p>\n

Unusually, Buckingham Palace and the White House agreed to allow public television to broadcast the dinner live, with the caveat that the cameras avoid catching any glimpses of the Queen eating or dancing. For the first dance in the East Room, the band played \u201cGetting to Know You,\u201d as President Ford and the Queen waltzed. Later in the evening, they prompted giggles when they danced to \u201cThe Lady is a Tramp\u201d by Rodgers and Hart. Elizabeth and Philip had such fun that they didn\u2019t return to their accommodations across the street at Blair House until nearly 1 A.M.\u2014more than an hour after their scheduled arrival.<\/p>\n

Share ROYALS EXTRA BY SALLY BEDELL SMITH<\/a><\/p>\n

The following night, British Ambassador Sir Peter Ramsbotham hosted a white-tie \u201creturn dinner\u201d for 84 at the British embassy residence. Among the guests was film star Elizabeth Taylor wearing a tight sequined dress displaying her ample d\u00e9colletage, accompanied by John Warner, the handsome future US. Senator. It was their first date, and she would marry him five months later. After the dinner, 1,600 guests joined the Queen and Prince Philip at a reception in the residence\u2019s gardens.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Elizabeth Taylor, John Warner, and Happy Rockefeller, the wife of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, at the British Ambassador\u2019s residence, July 8, 1976<\/p>\n

\u201cElizabeth Taylor making her grand entrance\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Shea, the director of the British Information Services who would later become the Queen\u2019s press secretary, recounted what happened next. The Queen was being followed by a television crew carrying cameras and high-powered lights. \u201cThen suddenly,\u201d Shea recalled, \u201ctotal darkness. The cameramen and photographers were racing back up the lawn to where the guests were coming in. I thought it must be the President arriving, but no, it was Elizabeth Taylor making her grand entrance, which left the Queen, with a very angry ambassador to guide her, stumbling along in the darkness. She was merely amused, seeing, for once, someone else at the center of media attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next day the Queen wanted to arrive in New York City by water as she had done in her first visit to the United States as monarch in 1957. The royal party flew to New Jersey, where they boarded the 44-foot royal barge from Britannia. Crossing New York Harbor past the Statue of Liberty, they landed in lower Manhattan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip being driven through New York City, July 9, 1976<\/p>\n

Following a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, they made their way uptown in an open-top limousine, waving to throngs crammed along the sidewalks. Canon John Andrew, the Rector of St. Thomas\u2019s Church on Fifth Avenue, was waiting for them on the corner of Park Avenue and 61st Street after leaving the luncheon.<\/p>\n

\u201cLord, here she comes\u201d<\/p>\n

He had known them well since the 1960s when he served as chaplain to Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey and they had \u201cmany meetings\u201d together. \u201cI heard great shouting, \u2018Lord, here she comes,\u2019\u201d Canon Andrew recalled. \u201cI was about to cross 61st Street and heard the great motorcycles. Suddenly without warning, the motorcade turned left in front of me, and the next thing I knew, there was a car with two people standing up in a convertible\u2014the Queen and Prince Philip. She was very very close. \u2018Oh,\u2019 she said, \u2018Look, there\u2019s John Andrew!\u2019 I forgot myself and waved my lunch program. \u2018Hello, hello, I\u2019ll see you tonight!\u2019 I said. They went past and I thought, \u2018What a bloody fool. What a thing to say to the Queen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Queen Elizabeth II with Marvin Traub, CEO of Bloomingdale\u2019s, on a tour of the department store, July 9, 1976<\/p>\n

\u201cBloomingdale\u2019s knows what\u2019s hip\u201d<\/p>\n

That afternoon the Queen visited Bloomingdale\u2019s. She chose the department store because it had become a renowned cultural experience for savvy New Yorkers. The success and trendy cachet of \u201cBloomie\u2019s\u201d, which attracted 300,000 customers a week, was the envy of what Morley Safer of \u201c60 Minutes\u201d called \u201cthe firmly established grand old ladies of Fifth Avenue, like Saks and Lord & Taylor.\u201d \u201cWe are attracted by the fact that Bloomingdale\u2019s knows what\u2019s hip,\u201d said Blair Sabol, a sharp-eyed fashion and culture critic at New York\u2019s Village Voice.<\/p>\n

Bloomingdale\u2019s CEO Marvin Traub whisked the Queen from one department to another on a half-hour tour as customers applauded. When she encountered a model in a mid-calf Calvin Klein dirndl skirt, she asked, \u201cGracious, do you really wear skirts that long here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Give a gift subscription<\/a><\/p>\n

That evening on Britannia, the Queen hosted three dozen distinguished guests for dinner followed by a reception for another 200. Canon John Andrew arrived with Sharman Douglas, the daughter of Lewis W. Douglas, a former American Ambassador to the Court of St. James\u2019s, who had known the Queen since her father\u2019s tenure in the late 1940s.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou looked so funny standing all alone\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of the usual greeting of \u2018How nice to see you,\u2019 the Queen threw back her head, laughed and said, \u2018You looked so funny standing all alone on the corner of the street,\u2019\u201d Canon Andrew recalled to me. \u201cSharman kissed her since they were great friends. Philip came over and said, \u2018What\u2019s all this about?\u2019 He was wearing an awful silk red New York City \u2018Big Apple\u2019 on his dinner jacket. I said, \u2018What the Hell is that?\u2019 So, Prince Philip took it off and stuck it on my forehead and said, \u2018THERE!\u2019 which started the Queen off again laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traveling northward overnight, Britannia docked the next morning at Long Wharf in New Haven, Connecticut where the Queen was cheered by an estimated 50,000 residents as she toured their city in less than an hour. \u201cIt was great, it was a joy,\u201d recalled Ed Surato, a librarian in the New Haven Museum. The royal entourage flew south for a day of visits to the University of Virginia and Monticello before reuniting with Britannia in Newport, Rhode Island.<\/p>\n

The city where \u201cit all began\u201d<\/p>\n

The Queen hosted a black-tie dinner for 20 in honor of President Ford and First Lady Betty Ford on shipboard. Their final morning, Sunday July 11, Britannia dropped anchor in Boston Harbor to a 21-gun salute. Elizabeth and Philip toured the city\u2019s revolutionary war-era sites, and in her speech at the Old State House, she noted that she was in the city where \u201cit all began.\u201d That evening as Britannia sailed to Canada, the Queen stood on the deck and waved goodbye as the ship\u2019s band played \u201cAuld Lang Syne.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip waving to a crowd of some 100,000 Bostonians from the balcony of the Old State House, July 11, 1976<\/p>\n

Many years later, Anne Greenstock, whose husband Jeremy had served as private secretary to British ambassador Sir Peter Ramsbotham at the time, gave me her assessment of the historic visit. \u201cI was sort of anti-monarchy to begin with,\u201d she told me. \u201cThey spent 18 months getting ready for the Bicentennial visit. I got so cross with them. I said, \u2018What are you two well-educated men doing spending your time figuring out what loo the Queen is going to use?\u2019 But then she came, and she impressed everyone and charmed everyone. She did it all so well. She was so professional. All these deals that had been in the offing were then signed, like permitting Concorde to fly to Washington. I got the point.\u201d<\/p>\n

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