Friday, Nov 17, 2006
The November 15th announcement that Queen Elizabeth II will visit the United States in May to participate in the 400th anniversary of Jamestown caps 10 years of planning by Jamestown 2007 and the federal Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission and again places Jamestown in the international spotlight. The Queen will be accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip participated in the 350th anniversary of Jamestown, her first visit to the U.S. as monarch. Her participation in America’s 400th anniversary will focus international attention on Jamestown’s legacies – the introduction of democratic government, free enterprise and a culturally diverse society – and the three cultures that converged at Jamestown – Europeans, Virginia Indians and Africans.
“Her Majesty’s first visit to the United States in 1957 coincided with the 350th anniversary of the landing at Jamestown,” said Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine. “I am proud that the Commonwealth will once again have the high honor and privilege of hosting Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to commemorate the 400th anniversary of this pivotal moment in our history. Our Jamestown 2007 events will be elevated by the prominence of Her Majesty, and we look forward to celebrating the deep historical and cultural connections between Virginia and the United Kingdom.”
Events commemorating America’s 400th Anniversary began in May 2006 with the launch of a replica of the Godspeed on tour of major East Coast ports. The commemoration spans 18 months and includes more than a dozen signature events focusing on Jamestown’s legacies. Visit www.Americas400thAnniversary.com for detailed information about the commemoration.
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Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The nation’s first representative government, free enterprise system and culturally diverse society began at Jamestown. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America’s 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Other supporters include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (BUD), AirTran Airways (NSYE: AAI), Dominion, James City County, Northrop Grumman, Philip Morris, SunTrust, TowneBank and Wolseley PLC/Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. Contributors include the City of Poquoson and Rutherfoord Insurance. More information about the commemoration is available at www.Americas400thAnniversary.com.
The federal Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission was created by Congress (Public Law 106-565) to work with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee in planning and executing an anniversary commemoration of national and international scope. The Commission is comprised of a chairman and fifteen members who were appointed by the Secretary of the Interior in spring 2003. For additional information, visit www.JamestownJourney.org.
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