-Mr President, I am 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 close and longstanding friendship
between the United Kingdom and the United States
and I am 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 risked their lives
and we owe an immeasurable 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
at the invitation of President Eisenhower.
As Supreme Allied Commander, he had ultimate responsibility
for the execution of the Normandy landings.
In his headquarters in 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 four 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 one million Americans, and the same is true vice versa.
Mr President, as we look to the future,
I am confident that our common values
and shared interests will 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.
-Thank you.