The Countess of Wessex visits New York

Day 1

The Countess of Wessex has been in New York City on a working visit. Her Royal Highness has conducted engagements in celebration of the Commonwealth, as an advocate for women in the workplace, and in supporting of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Her Royal Highness’ first engagement was a visit to the Queen Elizabeth II Garden. The Garden in Lower Manhattan serves to reflect the long history, shared friendship and the sacrifices of the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and the United States of America.

To mark Commonwealth day, The Countess met Consuls General from across the Commonwealth who are based in New York, before planting a rosemary bush to commemorate the visit.

Her Royal Highness then visited St George’s Society of New York, the second oldest charitable organisation in New York City.

Founded in 1770, the charity now supports New York's most vulnerable through their support funds, beneficiary and scholarship programmes.

The Countess heard about their work to support vulnerable people with British and Commonwealth heritage in the city.

Looking ahead to CHOGM 2022 in Rwanda, The Countess attended the United Nations Commonwealth Day reception.

Her Royal Highness was joined by representatives from Commonwealth UN Member States and visiting delegations for the Commission on the Status of Women.

Day 2

On her second day in New York, The Countess of Wessex joined UN Women representatives and NGOs at a briefing on the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on women and girls.

In the evening, The Countess delivered the keynote address at ‘Upholding Women’s Rights in Afghanistan’, an event hosted by the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan, with UN Women, and the Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace & Security.

The Countess of Wessex has supported the UN’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) for many years and is passionate about championing gender equality. Find out more about Her Royal Highness’ work in this field.

 

Day 3

On her final day in New York, The Countess of Wessex attended a lunch hosted by the British Consulate in New York for 100 Women in Finance, a global organisation committed to promoting gender equity in the financial sector.

The Countess is a Global Ambassador of 100 Women in Finance’s Next Generations initiative, which inspires young women to pursue careers in finance and investment.

Her Royal Highness then met women in senior leadership roles from JP Morgan and British Airways, where The Countess heard about their experience in challenging gender-based stereotypes and bias in the workplace.

The Countess is a passionate advocate for gender equality and is the founding Chair of the Women’s Network Forum and Chair of The Duke of Edinburgh Award’s Women in Business Committee.

Finally, The Countess of Wessex attended 100 Women in Finance’s ‘First Impressions’ event.

Attended by women in the financial sector and young girls from the city, the event aims to inspire young women to pursue careers in finance.

The Countess attended a First Impressions event during Her Royal Highness’s previous visit to New York in 2019.