Queen Elizabeth II visits UN headquarters, Ground Zero

Queen Elizabeth II pleaded for world peace in her 1st visit in 5 decades to the UN headquarters during her tour of New York.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II pleaded for world peace on Tuesday in her first visit in five decades to the UN headquarters during a whirlwind tour of a sweltering New York.

After addressing the world body she went to Ground Zero, where she laid a wreath in tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed when terrorists slammed two airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Of the 2999 casualties in the attack, 67 were British citizens. After ground zero, the queen visited a British garden to honor the Britons killed in the 2001 attack.

At Ground Zero, she was met by an honor guard and local officials including Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Following the ceremony she met with relatives of the victims accompanied by her husband, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.

Paula Berry, who lost her husband on 9/11, told NY1 television the queen "was conveying a message to us."

At the UN headquarters, the queen praised the "remarkable" achievements of the UN since her last visit. She said that "the waging of peace is the hardest form of leadership of all."

New challenges of "terrorism" and "climate change" were adding to the huge tests facing the world body, she said.