Prince Edward is currently on a two-day visit to the United States, having arrived in Newark on Tuesday, April 30.
The 61-year-old royal’s east coast tour comes just a week after Meghan Markle visited New York City with Prince Harry for the Time100 Summit.
Prince Edward’s visit marks a significant royal presence in America as he conducts a series of special engagements assigned to him by King Charles.
Buckingham Palace had confirmed last week that Edward would be making the trip to the US, beginning with engagements in Newark before travelling to Philadelphia.
Prince Edward makes East Coast dash following Meghan Markle appearance
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The Duke marked his first engagement on Tuesday afternoon with a visit to Newark Public School, where he met with students participating in his Global Award Program.
His Royal Highness made an extended stop at Science Park High School, meeting some of the district’s academic standouts.
This marked the first time a member of the British Royal Family had visited the Newark school district.
During his visit, Prince Edward had the opportunity to meet with 326 students from Newark who are actively involved in the award programme.
Prince Edward seen during the dedication of the Benjamin Rush Garden and Bicentennial Bell to Queen Elizabeth II
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The programme is designed for individuals aged 14 to 24, focusing on physical recreation, skills development, voluntary service and adventurous journeys.
“We need to find out what we can do and we need to get a real sense of achievement because that’s what gives us our self-worth and self-confidence,” His Royal Highness said during his visit.
Students shared their experiences with the Duke, including Christian Feliciano, who explained: “My first goal was to get better at basketball, and my second goal is running, running miles in the park, in the field, wherever I can, and my third goal is chemistry club.”
Fellow student Chonn Hinton added: “Along this journey we had to do things like starting a fire, putting together a tent, and spending time in our community.”
Meghan Markle speaking at the TIME100 SummitGettyPrince Edward encouraged participants to “use this opportunity to try new things, or try something you always wanted to have a go at.”
Following his engagements in Newark, Prince Edward visited Philadelphia as part of his two-day US tour.
While in the City of Brotherly Love, the Duke helped dedicate the Bicentennial Bell at the Benjamin Rush Garden, located inside Independence National Historic Park.
The bell, a replica of the Liberty Bell, was gifted to the United States by Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Philadelphia for the 1976 Bicentennial celebration.
Meghan claimed she and Harry are now able to ‘enjoy each other in a new way’
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It bears the inscription: “For the people of the United States, from the people of Britain, 4 July 1976 / Let Freedom Ring.”
The historic bell had been in storage for a decade before finding its new home as a centrepiece in the garden.
This is not the Duke’s first visit to the United States. In 2012, he visited Girard College in Philadelphia to plant a tree honouring the Diamond Jubilee of his mother’s reign.
