[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
[February 20, 1991]
[Pages 156-157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 156]]


Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
February 20, 1991

    The President. Let me welcome you back to the United States of
America. Your own motto aptly describes your role, ``God's help, the 
people's love, Denmark's strength.'' It's a privilege to greet you as an 
ally and a friend.
    You and Prince Henrik were here last in 1976, when President Ford 
noted how America has maintained uninterrupted relations with Denmark 
since 1801. These 190 years represent one of the oldest relationships 
that the United States has had with any country. We have much in common; 
we stood by each other in peace and in war. Our meeting today will 
enhance a relationship which already links our history and our hearts.
    You were educated in Denmark, England, and France, and speak five 
languages. And still, we know that there must be a universal language, a 
commitment to the liberty and dignity of the individual, freedom, and 
democracy, the rule of law, and the right of all people and States to 
live in peace. Both our countries realize that freedom is never finally 
won; rather, each generation must secure that blessing for itself and 
for those who follow.
    During World War II, your countrymen organized a strong and noble 
resistance. Denmark protected most of its Jewish population from the 
horrors of the Holocaust. And after the war, this legacy helped Denmark 
join America as a founding member of NATO, strengthening our historic 
ties with the multilateral bonds of an historic alliance. For decades, 
Denmark and America have known that to protect our own freedom we must 
maintain the freedom of others.
    Your Majesty was born 1 week after Denmark was occupied in 1940. And 
you know that self-determination often carries a price. And so, it is no 
surprise that when the freedom of Kuwait came under attack, Denmark 
joined the multinational coalition. You knew that naked aggression must 
not stand. And today, a Danish warship, the Corvette Olfert Fischer, is 
deployed in the Gulf.
    You seek to strengthen the international community sanctions against 
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. And today, also, Denmark is assisting the 
victims of war, sending a medical team to the coalition forces in Saudi 
Arabia, readying a hospital in Europe for evacuated casualties, helping 
refugees from Kuwait and Iraq.
    Denmark stands up for freedom. Danish forces have distinguished 
themselves in United Nations peacekeeping missions all over the globe. 
And Denmark has taken a firm and principled stand in support of the 
Baltic peoples and their democratically-elected governments. Both 
Denmark and the United States have spoken out against the use of force 
in the Baltics and in support of a return to peaceful and constructive 
negotiations.
    Historically, Denmark and America have shared a commitment to 
strengthen democratic processes that has never been stronger. Nor has 
our joint belief that real peace means the triumph of freedom, not 
merely the absence of war.
    A Danish proverb notes that peace and a well-built house cannot be 
bought too dearly. Together we are building a house of peace in Europe, 
espousing the cause of hope and human dignity, a cause that is right and 
good. And for that I thank you.
    I welcome Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, and her consort, Prince 
Henrik, to Washington as very special guests of the United States. The 
Danes say proudly that if the monarchy were abolished--I hope this won't 
embarrass you--the Queen would win the Presidency by a landslide. And 
surely, the year-long jubilee of the Queen's birthday showed Denmark's 
love of this artist, translator, stage designer, archeologist, and 
ruler, as it has also of Prince Henrik, whose work in the business and 
charity, diplomacy, and the environment has won him the esteem of the 
Danish people and the respect of the United States and many other 
countries as well.

[[Page 157]]

    So, Your Majesty, let me welcome you back to the White House and 
wish you a very happy and productive visit. And may God bless Denmark 
and the United States of America.
    Queen Margrethe. Mr. President, the Prince Consort and I have looked 
forward to our first state visit to your country with warm expectancy. 
So many close ties bind the United States and Denmark together. Our two 
countries have maintained diplomatic relations for almost 190 years, the 
longest uninterrupted relationship, I am told, of the United States with 
any other state.
    But far more important than the duration of the official 
relationship are the innumerable personal ties between Americans and 
Danes and the values that we share. For more than a generation, in fact, 
as long as I can remember, the United States and Denmark have been 
partners or have otherwise cooperated in many fields. We need only 
mention our membership with the United Nations and our partnership in 
NATO that remain two of the fundamentals of the foreign policy of both 
our countries.
    The Prince Consort and I have just spent 2 delightful days at 
Williamsburg. Though the distance between the capital of colonial 
Virginia and Washington, DC, is short, it is nevertheless a journey in 
time, for it spans the history of the United States from early 
republican time to the present day. And it is striking how all through 
the years one thing has remained unchanged: the dedication of your 
country and its people to the ideals proclaimed in the Declaration of 
Independence and enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. 
Those ideals are values that we share.
    And however troubled the present times may be, it is heartening to 
see how the dedication to common values is able to rally so many nations 
of the international community when the United Nations calls upon them.
    Mr. President, the reception which you have given to me and the 
Prince Consort here just now makes an impressive beginning to our stay 
as your guests. Thank you very much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 10:14 a.m. on the South 
                        Portico of the White House, where Queen 
                        Margrethe was accorded a formal welcome with 
                        full military honors. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Prince Henrik, the Queen's husband. 
                        Following the ceremony, the President and the 
                        Queen met in the Oval Office.