    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 7, 2007]
    [Pages 542-544]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
    May 7, 2007

        President Bush. Good morning. Laura and I are
    honored to welcome back to the White House Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
    II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the
    Duke of Edinburgh.
        The United Kingdom has written many of the greatest chapters in the
    history of human freedom. Nearly 800 years ago, the Magna Carta placed
    the authority of the government under the rule of law. Eighty years
    later, the first representative assembly of the English people met to
    debate public policies. Over the centuries, Parliaments in Britain
    established principles that guide all modern democracies. And thinkers
    from Britain like Locke and Smith and Burke showed the world that
    freedom was the natural right of every man, woman, and child on Earth.
        As liberty expanded in the British Isles, British explorers helped
    spread liberty to many lands, including our own. In May of 1607, a group
    of pioneers arrived on the shores of the James River and founded the
    first permanent English settlement in North America. The settlers at
    Jamestown planted the seeds of freedom and democracy on American soil.
    And from those seeds sprung a nation that will always be proud to trace
    its roots back to our friends across the Atlantic.

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        Our two nations hold fundamental values in common. We honor our
    traditions and our shared history. We recognize that the strongest
    societies respect the rights and dignity of the individual. We
    understand and accept the burdens of global leadership. And we have
    built our special relationship on the surest foundations: our deep and
    abiding love of liberty.
        Today, our two nations are defending liberty against tyranny and
    terror. We're resisting those who murder the innocent to advance a
    hateful ideology, whether they kill in New York or London or Kabul or
    Baghdad.
        American and British forces are staying on the offense against the
    extremists and terrorists. We're supporting young democracies. Our work
    has been hard. The fruits of our work have been difficult for many to
    see. Yet our work remains the surest path to peace, and it reflects the
    values cherished by Americans and by Britons and by the vast majority of
    people across the broader Middle East.
        Your Majesty, I appreciate your leadership during these times of
    danger and decision. You've spoken out against extremism and terror.
    You've encouraged religious tolerance and reconciliation. You have
    honored those returning from battle and comforted the families of the
    fallen.
        The American people are proud to welcome Your Majesty back to the
    United States, a nation you've come to know very well. After all, you've
    dined with 10 U.S. Presidents. You helped our Nation celebrate its
    bicentennial in 17--in 1976. [Laughter]
        Queen Elizabeth II. Come--[inaudible].
        President Bush. She gave me a look that only a mother could give a
    child. [Laughter]
        You have helped commemorate both the 350th and 400th anniversaries
    of the Jamestown settlement.
        Your Majesty, the United States receives with honor the sovereign of
    the United Kingdom. We welcome back to the White House a good person, a
    strong leader for a great ally.
        Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. President, thank you for your warm words.
    This is my fifth visit to the United States. And I believe it is
    important to remind ourselves of the purpose of these occasions, which
    gives meaning to the ceremonial symbolism and the circumstance.
        A state visit provides us with a brief opportunity to step back from
    our current preoccupations to reflect on the very essence of our
    relationship. It gives us the chance to look back at how the stories of
    our two countries have been inextricably woven together. It is the
    moment to take stock of our present friendship, rightly taking pleasure
    from its strengths, while never taking these for granted. And it is the
    time to look forward, jointly renewing our commitment to a more
    prosperous, safer, and freer world.
        Last week, I had the pleasure of sharing with you an extraordinary
    anniversary in our common history. It was a privilege to join the
    commemoration of the Jamestown landing by that small group of British
    citizens all those years ago. My 2 days in Virginia gave me a new
    insight into those events, which helped to shape this country's
    development and to lay the foundations of this great Nation based on
    shared principles of equality, democracy, and the rule of law.
        And now in Washington, we have a further opportunity to acknowledge
    the present strength of our relationship. I shall enjoy not only
    renewing old acquaintances and making new ones but also recognizing the
    breadth and depth of the friendship we have shared for so long. We can
    celebrate the close and enduring associations which thrive between the
    United States and the United Kingdom at every level, be it government or
    corporate, institutional or personal.
        This visit also gives us a window on the future, both the future of
    the United States and the future cooperation between our countries. I
    particularly look forward in the

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    next 2 days to seeing at firsthand something of how the cutting edge of
    science and technology can take us to the next phases of discovery and
    exploration in human endeavor.
        Mr. President, thank you for inviting Prince Philip and me to visit
    your country, to share in the commemoration of the Jamestown
    anniversary, and to have this opportunity to underline the extent of our
    friendship, past, present, and future. It is indeed a pleasure for us to
    be here in Washington again and to be welcomed back to the White House.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:07 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House where the Queen was accorded a formal welcome with full military
    honors.