July 9, 1976: “Queen Elizabeth II came to New York yesterday to make speeches, shake hands, become an honorary citizen, wave to thousands of New Yorkers — and collect 279 years’ worth of back rent,” The Times reported. “The rent, 279 peppercorns in a Steuben glass container, was paid to Her Majesty on the steps of Trinity Church, at Broadway and Wall Street. The church received its charter from William III, an ancestor of the Queen, in 1697, for a nominal yearly rent of one peppercorn. Until today, the rent had never been paid.” | Viewing NYC

Vintage Photograph of Queen Elizabeth II Visiting New York City in 1976

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July 9, 1976: “Queen Elizabeth II came to New York yesterday to make speeches, shake hands, become an honorary citizen, wave to thousands of New Yorkers — and collect 279 years’ worth of back rent,” The Times reported. “The rent, 279 peppercorns in a Steuben glass container, was paid to Her Majesty on the steps of Trinity Church, at Broadway and Wall Street. The church received its charter from William III, an ancestor of the Queen, in 1697, for a nominal yearly rent of one peppercorn. Until today, the rent had never been paid.”