    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [February 20, 1991]
    [Pages 162-164]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Toasts at the State Dinner for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
    February 20, 1991

        The President. Prince Henrik, and ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed
    a pleasure for Barbara and me to salute Queen Margrethe II, the heir to
    a thousand-year-old monarchy and the head of state of our very close
    friend and ally Denmark.
        We honor her tonight as a superb queen and ruler. And yet we also
    honor her as an artist, translator, and scholar whose work aptly
    reflects the civilized and humane qualities of the Danish people.
        And we also welcome and honor this evening Prince Henrik, our very
    special guest, an accomplished and energetic man whose contributions in
    business and in the environment and in charitable work have brought
    great credit to Denmark from all around the world.
        We've been delighted that Her Majesty and the Prince Consort have
    chosen to send their sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim to
    travel and study in our country. In fact, we take it as a great national
    compliment that Prince Henrik, who owns a vineyard in France, sent the
    Crown Prince to study and work at a California winery. [Laughter] Very
    broadminded Prince we have here. [Laughter]
        And from her birth during the darkest days of World War II, when she
    was seen as a symbol of hope for a nation under occupation, Queen
    Margrethe has been a source of inspiration to her country. She
    personifies the spirit of the Danish people, their courage during World
    War II, their many achievements today, and overall, their love of
    freedom.
        Throughout its history, Denmark has been a guardian of liberty in
    both peacetime and war. Since President Jefferson and King Christian VII
    first established diplomatic relations, our nations have jointly
    fostered the liberty which sets and keeps men free. We saw that in World
    War II when Denmark smuggled virtually all of its Jews to freedom and
    when, even under occupation, almost your entire Danish merchant fleet
    willingly helped the Allies.
        And tonight, your Navy and ours sail together in the Gulf. And this
    time we stand together against another brutal dictator, against another
    aggressor. Your Majesty, I am very proud that tonight with us is not
    only General Powell, who you met--the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, but
    also the two ranking enlisted men in both our Navy and our Army, Master
    Chief Petty Officer Bushey and Sergeant Major of the Army Gates. And
    they and their colleagues from all our services are doing a superb job,
    just as your military people aboard your vessel are.
        And I must tell you, Your Majesty, that our country is united behind
    them totally today, exactly as we were united in World War II. And
    patriotism is high here now--and for our purpose, you see, is clear and
    our mission is just. And we are going to prevail. And your forces and
    ours will guarantee that the torch of freedom will illuminate Kuwait.
        Thirty-one years ago, one of Denmark's greatest leaders, your
    father, said it best: ``Let us unite,'' said King Frederik in a toast to
    President Eisenhower, ``in the hope that

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    the torch of freedom which we received from our fathers may also
    illuminate the path of our descendants for generations to come.'' And in
    that spirit I ask all of our guests tonight to raise their glasses to a
    third century, a third century of Danish-American friendship; to the
    peace we seek to win, the peace we intend to keep; and especially to Her
    Majesty and His Royal Highness and what they symbolize both for Denmark
    and to the United States and for the entire world.
        To your health, Your Majesty.
        Queen Margrethe. Mr. President, Mrs. Bush. The Prince Consort and I
    are deeply moved by the warm words of welcome which the President of the
    United States has just addressed to us and by the friendship towards
    Denmark which he has so beautifully expressed.
        We are very much aware that our first state visit to the United
    States coincides in time with a serious war involving American forces as
    well as forces from many other nations under the auspices of the United
    Nations. We all hope that the suffering and the sacrifices of the war,
    brought into every home and all too vividly impressed on every mind by
    modern means of communication, will lead to respect and furtherance of
    the ideals of the United Nations.
        Mr. President, the position of your office is unique among heads of
    state, not only because the United States is a world power but because
    the President is obliged to lead his country and fulfill his duties
    under the constant eye of the public--indeed, in the glare of global
    publicity.
        You have impressed us all, Mr. President, by the way in which you
    perform your functions in the face of these demanding conditions,
    dedicated to your high office and conscious of its obligations. You have
    come across as a man of integrity and a fellow human being not only to
    your own people but to so many others as well. And nobody can fail to
    notice the warm relationship and the personal support that you receive
    from Mrs. Bush.
        The United States of America belongs to what is known as the New
    World, and that is the way you often like to characterize yourselves.
    But anyone who, like myself, has visited your country in 1976 when the
    American people celebrated the bicentennial is also aware of the long
    and proud tradition which you have established and that you so rightly
    cherish.
        The Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution were
    directly inspired by political and philosophical thought as expounded by
    enlightened circles in Europe of that day. But the American contribution
    was unique. It kindled that spark which sooner or later gave rise to
    constitutional reform in countries all over Europe, including Denmark.
    The ideas of a just and humane society that caused such profound changes
    more than a century ago have never lost their relevance nor their
    impetus.
        They lie behind the charter of the United Nations, and they have
    been reaffirmed in a number of international instruments for the
    protection of human rights. Only recently we have seen how people in
    Eastern Europe, under an intolerable pressure, found strength precisely
    in those values and ideas in order to realize their hopes for a better
    existence. Indeed, did not an echo of the opening words of your
    Constitution ring through their streets: ``We, the people.''
        The ideals which inspired the Founding Fathers of the United States
    are as challenging today as they were more than 200 years ago. They are
    an everlasting spur to us all who try to follow them and to see them
    implemented. Sometimes we may almost despair of living up to them in
    practice. But we should never forget that they are ideals--and ideals
    are never attained though we constantly attempt to fulfill them.
        Generations of Americans and generations of Danes have lived in that
    attempt. Sometimes we've felt that we did succeed. Sometimes we've
    seemed to have fallen far, far short. Maybe those shared ideals and
    parallel experiences are part of the reason why we understand each other
    and like each other.
        Ladies and gentlemen, I raise my glass in honor of the President of
    the United States and Mrs. Bush, and drink to the deep and warm
    friendship between our two countries and to the continued prosperity and
    happiness of the people of the United States of

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    America.

                        Note: President Bush spoke at 8:15 p.m. in the State
                            Dining Room at the White House. In his remarks,
                            he referred to Prince Henrik, the Queen's
                            husband, and her sons, Crown Prince Frederik and
                            Prince Joachim; President Saddam Hussein of
                            Iraq; Colin L. Powell, Chairman of the Joint
                            Chiefs of Staff; Duane R. Bushey, master chief
                            petty officer of the Navy; and Julian Gates,
                            sergeant major of the Army.