mr. president I’m delighted to welcome you and mrs. Trump to Buckingham Palace this evening just 12 months after our first meeting at Windsor visits by American presidents always remind us of the clothes and long-standing friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States and I’m so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship in the coming days you will see some of our most treasured historical buildings speak to the business leaders whose
expertise and innovation drive our economies and meet members of our armed services past and present you will also travel to Portsmouth and Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of d-day on that day and on many occasions since the armed forces of both our countries fought side-by-side to defend our cherished values of Liberty and democracy mr. president in your State of the Union address this year you paid tribute to some of the American heroes who risk their lives and we owe an immeasurable in a miserable debt to the
British American and allied soldiers who began the liberation of Europe on the 6th of June 1944 I paid my first state visit to your country but the invitation of President Eisenhower as supreme Allied commander he had ultimate responsibility for the execution of the Normandy landings in his headquarters and st. James’s square not far from Buckingham Palace British and American officers worked closely together to plan the freedom of a continent and it would be no exaggeration to say that millions of lives depended on their common endeavor
as we face the new challenges of the 21st century the anniversary of d-day reminds us of all that our countries have achieved together after the shared sacrifices of the Second World War Britain and the United States worked with other allies to build an assembly of international institutions to ensure that the horrors of conflict would never be repeated while the world has changed we are forever mindful of the original purpose of these structures nations working together to safeguard a hard-won peace of course it is not only our
security which unites us but our strong cultural links and shared heritage every year there are almost 4 million visits by Americans to the United Kingdom with a great number claiming British descent and with your own Scottish ancestry mr. president you too have a particular connection to this country we are also bound by the strength and breadth of our economic ties as the largest investors in each other’s economies British companies in the United States employ over 1 million Americans and the same is true vice versa mr. president as we look
to the future I’m confident that our common values and shared interests we’ll continue to unite us tonight we celebrate an alliance that has helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades and which I believe will endure for many years to come ladies and gentlemen I invite you all to rise and drink a toast to president and mrs. Trump to the continued friendship between our two nations and to the health prosperity and happiness of the people of the United States [Music] [Applause] your majesty Melania and I are
profoundly honored to be your guest for this historic state visit thank you for your warm welcome for this beautiful weather your gracious hospitality and your Majesty’s nearly seven decades of treasured friendship with the United States of America this week we commemorate a mighty endeavor of righteous Nations and one of the greatest undertakings in all of history 75 years ago more than 150,000 Allied troops were preparing on this island to parachute into France stormed the beaches of Normandy and win back our
civilization as Her Majesty remembers the British people had hoped and prayed and fought for this day for nearly five years when Britain stood alone during the Blitz of 1940 and 1941 the Nazi war machine dropped thousands of bombs on this country and right on this magnificent City Buckingham Palace alone was bombed on 16 separate occasions in that dark hour the people of this nation showed the world what it means to be British they cleared records from the streets displayed the Union Jack from their shattered homes and kept fighting
on to victory they only wanted victory the courage of the United Kingdom’s sons and daughters ensured that your destiny would always remain in your own hands through it all the royal family was the resolute face of the Commonwealth’s unwavering solidarity in April 1945 newspapers featured a picture of the queen-mother visiting the woman’s branch of the army watching a young woman repair a military truck engine that young mechanic was the future queen a great great woman Her Majesty inspired her compatriots in that fight to support
the troops defend her homeland and defeat the enemy at all cost we also pay tribute to Prince Philip’s distinguished and valiant service in the Royal Navy during the Second World War on d-day the Queen’s beloved father King George the sixth delivered a stirring national address that day he said after nearly five years of toil and sufferin we must renew that crusading impulse on which we entered the war and met its darkest hour our fight is against evil and for a world in which goodness and honor may be the foundation of the life of men in
every land this evening we thank God for the brave sons of the United Kingdom and the United States who defeated the Nazis and the Nazi regime and liberated millions from tyranny the bond between our nation’s was forever sealed in that great crusade as we honor our shared victory in heritage we affirm the common values that will unite us long into the future freedom sovereignty self-determination the rule of law and reference for the rights given to us by Almighty God from the Second World War to today Her Majesty has stood as a
constant symbol of these priceless traditions she has embodied the spirit of dignity duty and patriotism that beats proudly in every British part on behalf of all Americans I offer a toast to the eternal friendship of our people the vitality of our nation’s and to the long cherished and truly remarkable reign of Her Majesty the Queen thank you
