Queen Elizabeth addresses UN

We know the Queen Elizabeth addresses UN

QUEEN Elizabeth II, on a whirlwind visit to New York City, addressed the UN General Assembly today for the first time in 53 years and called on its members to work together “if we are truly to be united nations".

Later, the monarch was to visit Ground Zero as well as the nearby British Garden at Hanover Square honouring the 67 British citizens killed in the September 11 attacks. She and her husband, Prince Philip, were to fly back to London today, concluding a nine-day trip to Canada and a five-hour stop in Manhattan.

The monarch, wearing a patterned blue and white suit and matching hat, arrived at the UN mid-afternoon local time.

The last time she spoke there was 1957, when she was 31 and on her first trip to Manhattan - a visit that included such typical tourist spots as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Since then, she has been back only one other time, in 1976 during the US bicentennial celebrations.



As the city sweltered in nearly 37C temperatures, the Queen stepped to the marble podium of the UN General Assembly and delivered a 10-minute address to representatives of the 192 member nations, reflecting on the body’s past history and achievements but also noting “so much remains to be done”.

When people look back in another 53 years, she said, they may consider today’s leadership and efforts “old fashioned”.

But, she added, “my hope is our sincerity, willingness to take the lead and determination to do the right thing will stand the test of time”.

In tomorrow’s world, she said, “we must all work together as hard as ever if we are truly to be united nations".

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Queen makes speech at UN

Queen Elizabeth II lays a wreath at the site of the World Trade Centre. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

We are enjoy saw this Queen makes speech at UN Monarch opens memorial garden for British citizens who died in the attack on the World Trade Centre

The Queen made her first visit to New York for more than 30 years yesterday, giving a speech at the UN and laying a wreath at the site of the 9/11 attacks.

During a 15-minute visit to Ground Zero, during which temperatures hit 38C, she placed a wreath of peonies, roses, lilies and other flowers where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre once stood. She went on to open a memorial garden in lower Manhattan dedicated to the 67 British citizens who died in the attacks.

Earlier, the Queen received a standing ovation after delivering a speech at the UN in which she praised the work of the organisation. "For over six decades the United Nations has helped to shape the international response to global dangers," she said. "The challenge now is to continue to show this clear … leadership while not losing sight of your ongoing work to secure the security, prosperity and dignity of our fellow human beings."

Dressed in a two-piece white, blue and beige print dress with a ruffled hem and a matching brimmed silk hat with flowers, she was greeted on her arrival by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, and other dignitaries.

The five-hour visit to New York followed a successful eight-day tour of Canada featuring an encounter with ice hockey stars, a state dinner in Ottawa and a royal inspection of a colourful teepee. The Queen came away with a potentially useful gadget – on a visit to the Canadian technology firm Research in Motion she was given a white Blackberry smartphone, personalised with a picture of schoolchildren offering her flowers.

The Queen was last in New York in 1976 as part of the US bicentennial celebrations. This week the US secret service was chaperoning her under tight security and little of her itinerary was disclosed.

The New York Daily News offered its readers a quick etiquette guide in the unlikely event that any of them should bump into the monarch. They were advised not to mention the Duchess of York, to stick to small talk about dogs or horses, and reminded: "Don't offer a handshake, a fistbump or a high five."

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