British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square Renamed to Honor Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee

Yesterday, Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger and Chairman Robert R. Douglass joined the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, Dean of Westminster Abbey at a ceremony to rename the British Garden at Hanover Square to be called The Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden.

The Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden in Lower Manhattan’s Hanover Square commemorates the enduring friendship and unity between the British, the Commonwealth and the United States of America and its people.  The landscaped Garden is both a gift to the people of New York City and a living memorial to the many British and Commonwealth victims who lost their lives in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

During the ceremony, the Dean blessed and unveiled a paving stone with the Garden’s new name. The relaxing space was designed to provide a peaceful escape for quiet reflection for the people of New York and visitors and includes plants with long-term viability to withstand the changing seasons, reminding visitors that the cycle of life does goes on.

The Queen Elizabeth II September 11^th Garden’s motto –  “Sowing the Seeds of Friendship and Peace” – represents a promise to honor the memory of those lost while looking to growth and progress for the future.

In attendance at the event were New York City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Consul Generals from various Commonwealth Countries, including Australian Consul General Phil Scanlan and Canadian Consul General John Prato, representatives of the Board of the British Memorial Garden Trust, Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner William Castro, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Mayor Bradford Billet, Her Majesty’s Consul-General New York Danny Lopez, and 9/11 victims’ family members.

For further details, visit www.queenelizabethgarden.org. For pictures of the event click HERE.