Britain's Queen Elizabeth Coming to New York City

(July 5) -- Queen Elizabeth II will visit New York on Tuesday for the third time in her 58-year reign, addressing the United Nations General Assembly for the first time in half a century and making her first trip to Ground Zero, where she plans to lay a wreath.

After spending nine days in Canada to celebrate Canada Day and the centenary of the Canadian Navy, the queen, 84, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will cap off their North American journey with a whirlwind half-day in the Big Apple. It is the monarch's first visit since 1976, when she was made an "honorary New Yorker" by Mayor Abraham Beame.

Queen Elizabeth will deliver a mid-afternoon speech to delegates from 192 countries at the U.N., according to reports, her first address there since 1957, when she urged delegates to pursue peace and uphold civil rights. In Tuesday's speech, reportedly penned by government officials but containing some of the queen's thoughts, she will offer personal reflections and "appeal for world unity."

Richard Drew, AP

The last time Queen Elizabeth II visited New York City was in 1976. Here, she passes a crowd of shoppers while touring the Bloomingdale's department store during that trip.

"She will be taking a global perspective," Harriet Cross of the United Kingdom's Mission to the United Nations, told The New York Times. "She will touch on progress made since she was last here, and challenges that remain."

The queen plans to tour the World Trade Center site in the late afternoon, meeting Mayor Michael Bloomberg and governors David Paterson of New York and Christopher Christie of New Jersey. She will not make a speech but she is expected to lay a wreath before heading to Hanover Garden in Lower Manhattan, where she will open the British Garden of Remembrance honoring the 67 British citizens killed on 9/11.

The queen will meet approximately 50 family members of subjects who perished in the 2001 attacks.

She follows in the footsteps of other royals who have paid their respects at Ground Zero, including Prince Harry last year and Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, in 2005.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will fly back to Great Britain in the evening.

Reports today said the queen's annual spending of 38.2 million pounds ($57.8 million) is down from 41.5 million pounds ($62.8 million) last year, after the royal took fewer charter flights and refunded money to the government with the sale of an old helicopter, Buckingham Palace said. Each British person contributes 62 pence (94 cents) a year to support the royal household, according to the palace.