Queen of United Kingdom to Visit WTC Site Today

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom will be visiting the World Trade Center site today as part of her North American tour to pay tribute to the 2,982 lives lost on 9/11.  This will follow her weeklong trip to Canada.  

This will be the queen’s first visit to the site, also known as ground zero and the site of the 9/11 Memorial, which will open September 11, 2011.  It is also the queen's first trip to New York City since 1976.

The queen will be accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.  The queen’s son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, visited ground zero in 2005.  Prince Harry, the son of Prince Charles, visited last year and laid a wreath on the site during a charity event.

During the trip, the queen will be visiting The British Garden at Hanover Square, which memorializes the 67 British citizens who lost their lives on Sept. 11.

In honor of the visit, the Alliance for Downtown New York has proposed top ten "royal experiences" the queen can do during her visit to lower Manhattan.

Some of the Downtown Alliance's recommended sites and activities for the queen include a trip down Broadway to see the Canyon of Heroes, a visit to Stone Street, the Fraunces Tavern Museum, Castle Clinton, the South Street Seaport, as well as a free ride around downtown, luxury shopping on Wall Street, and high tea in the Financial District.

The queen is also scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly today.

By Meghan Walsh, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial