2 Events Linked Delaware County to Queen Elizabeth II

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Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowd in front of City Hall during her 1976 visit .
Image via The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News archive.
Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowd in front of City Hall during her 1976 visit .

Two events connected Delaware County to Queen Elizabeth II during her Bicentennial visit to Philadelphia in 1976, one positive and one tragic.

The queen arrived at Penn’s Landing just before 10 a.m. on July 6, but it was 40 minutes later that she stepped off the royal yacht Britannia to be greeted by city and state officials, writes Nick Vadala for The Philadelphia Inquirer, as reported in archival articles from the Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

A crowd had gathered to get a glimpse of her but became impatient, chanting “We want the queen.”

A Glenolden man, John Neri, 67, died of a heart attack waiting for her to arrive.

After leaving Penn’s Landing, the queen attended an official reception at City Hall with about 100 city officials attending, including then-mayor Frank Rizzo.

The queen received a resolution of welcome from City Council, and a medallion commemorating the Bicentennial celebration

The Woodland String Band played as she walked with the mayor. Rizzo presented her with 10 lithographs by Chadds Ford artist Andrew Wyeth.

 “I hope your stay is pleasurable and that you bring back fond memories of this great city,” Rizzo said.

Read more about Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Philadelphia at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Here’s a CBS Philly news report on Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Philadelphia.

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