The Return of the Prince: George Washington’s Mount Vernon Welcomes Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
On a summery, picture-postcard perfect first of October, Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis, the Duke of Edinburgh, toured the historic Mount Vernon estate. The youngest of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip’s four children, the Duke of Edinburgh, formerly the Duke of Essex until 2023 (a year after his brother Charles became King) is visiting Alexandria during his final U.S. tour stop in DC.
As part of a continuing celebration of America250, the Duke also visited Baltimore and New York and now heads north to Canada, which wasn’t completely independent of British rule until 1982. According to Buckingham Palace, the Duke’s tour spotlights the collegial relationship and mutual interests shared between the UK and the U.S. with a focus upon youth empowerment and opportunity as well as the arts. 
On his way to the library tour, Prince Edward strolled over to give this Zebra arts editor a very dazzling, “Hello!” My British subject mum would have been swooning. Photo Kelly MacConomy
The President of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Doug Braeburn, escorted the Duke as well as the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, touring the highlights of the estate. The Duke first explored the engaging new education center, then toured the Mansion House, later visiting the realistic encampment interpretation and Washington’s tomb where the Duke laid a wreath honoring our nation’s first President. A quick drive over to the library followed where a whiskey tasting awaited before the VIP luncheon.
Every facet of George Washington’s life and times, including the General’s role in the quest for independence from the British crown, proved to be a subject of interest to the Prince who was once third in line to the throne of England. Much like his brother, King Charles, who visited Mount Vernon as the Prince of Wales in 2015, the Duke was gracious, poised, witty, and extremely knowledgeable on every subject – most especially the whiskey.
This wasn’t Prince Edward’s first visit to Mount Vernon. In 2001, when he was the Earl of Essex, he joined the Duke of Edinburgh and future king, along with his father Prince Phillip, who held the Duke’s title until he died, and Queen Elizabeth at Mount Vernon. They each signed the guestbook which was on display in the library upon the occasion of the Royal Mount Vernon revisiting.
Unlike King Charles and Queen Camilla, who visited DC and Virginia back in April of this year, the Duke did not visit the White House or attend a State dinner in his honor. Nonetheless, George Washington’s Mount Vernon’s president, Regents, and staff, as well as guests and tourists alike, rolled out the Royal red carpet for the regal man who would not be king in a reverent and estimable welcome to the home of the man who declined to be crowned.
