Remarks Prior to a State Banquet With King Charles III of the United Kingdom in Windsor, United Kingdom

King Charles. Mr. President, Mrs. Trump, it is with great pleasure that my wife and I welcome you to Windsor Castle on this, your second state visit to the United Kingdom.

This unique and important occasion reflects the enduring bond between our two great nations, anchored by the deep friendship between our people. This relationship—which, with good reason, we and our predecessors have long called special—has made us safer and stronger through the generations.

Our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear. We have innovated, traded, and created together, fueling our economies and cultures through myriad forms of exchange. We have celebrated together, mourned together, and stood together in the best and worst of times.

Mr. President, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year, it is remarkable to think just how far we have come. I cannot help but wonder what our forebearers from 1776 would make of this friendship today.

The rebel commander and pioneering first President, George Washington, famously vowed never to set foot on British soil. And my five-times great-grandfather, King George III, for his part, did not spare his words when he spoke of the revolutionary leaders.

Today, however, we celebrate a relationship between our two countries that surely neither Washington nor King George III could possibly have imagined. The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways, we are now the closest of kin.

Mr. President, you have spoken of your pride in your British roots. In fact, not only have you set foot on British soil twice in the last 2 months alone, but I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses. [Laughter]

Now, for my part, I have always admired the ingenuity of the American people and the principles of freedom which your great democracy has represented since its inception. Throughout my life, from the very first visit to the United States in 1970 and over 20 visits since that time, I have cherished the close ties between the British and American people.

In fact, had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I myself might have been married off within the Nixon family. [Laughter]

Mr. President, from York to New York, from Birmingham, England, to Birmingham, Alabama, we are united by a common language and shared heritage. The many thousands of people from each of our countries who have made the other their home have enriched our societies immeasurably, a fact that gives me the greatest pride. Our cultural connections, too, continue to flourish, with our actors, musicians, writers, and television presenters prospering in the hearts of transatlantic audiences.

Today, our alliance spans every field of endeavor and shows vast potential for growth. The United Kingdom was your partner in the first trade deal of your administration, Mr. President, bringing jobs and growth to both our countries. And no doubt we can go even further as we build this new era of our partnership.

Our two nations have an exceptional legacy of shared discovery. Together, we laid the foundations of nuclear science, mapped the human genome, and built the internet, upon which all contemporary commerce, communication, and defense is based.

Together, our scientists and engineers are shaping the world of tomorrow, not least with new partnership agreements on technology and the prosperity that stands to bring.

Our countries have them—the closest defense, security, and intelligence relationship ever known. In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny.

Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine to deter aggression and secure peace. And our AUKUS submarine partnership with Australia sets the benchmark for innovative and vital collaboration.

The successors of the British Redcoats and of George Washington's Continental Army today stand shoulder to shoulder, brothers- and sisters-in-arms, protecting the freedoms we both cherish.

Our countries are working together in support of crucial diplomatic efforts, not least of which, Mr. President, is your own personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world's most intractable conflicts in order to secure peace.

In striving for a better world, we also have a precious opportunity to safeguard and to restore the wonders and beauty of nature for the generations who follow us. We share the ambition and determination to preserve our majestic lands and waters—above all, to ensure that we have clean water, clean air, and clean food.

Our legacy for the next 250 years and beyond is to ensure that our children, grandchildren, and those who come after them can experience the awe and magnificence of the national—of the natural treasures found in the countryside, on the coasts, in the seas, and in the national parks established by your predecessors and mine.

Mr. President, Mrs. Trump, the bond between our two nations is indeed a remarkable one. Forged in the fire of conflict, it has been fortified through our shared endeavors and burnished by the deep affection between our people. Tested time and again, it has borne the weight of our common purpose and raised our ambition for a better world.

So, in renewing our bond tonight, we do so with unshakable trust in our friendship and in our shared commitment to independence and liberty. Therefore, as we celebrate this unparalleled partnership, allow me to propose a toast to President Trump and the First Lady and to the health, prosperity, and happiness of the people of the United States of America.

[At this point, King Charles offered a toast.]

President Trump. Your Majesty, Melania and I are deeply grateful to you and Queen Camilla for your extraordinary graciousness. And to William and Kate, thank you so much. It's been so great being with you today. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

It's a singular privilege to be the first American President welcomed here. And the—if you think about it, it's a lot of Presidents, and this was the second state visit, and that's the first and maybe that's going to be the last time. I hope it is, actually. [Laughter]

But this is truly one of the highest honors of my life. Such respect for you and such respect for your country.

For many decades, His Majesty the King has epitomized the fortitude, nobility, and the spirit of the British monarchy and the British people.

He's dedicated himself to preserving the glory and unique character of this kingdom, restoring life to the rivers and streams; supporting the works of its artists and composers; planting trees and gardens in its countryside—and I just visited one of the most beautiful I've ever seen that you just completed; and protecting the architectural integrity of cities, villages, and towns. He has uplifted the poor, cared for rural farmers, and tended to wounded veterans like nobody else.

I'll tell you that I just stood in line and shook about 150 hands, and the King knew every single person and every single company. And some of them had bad names, like XYZ–Q3—[laughter]—and he knew every one of them—or at least I think he did, because nobody was complaining. [Laughter] I was very impressed with that.

King Charles. Thank you, Mr. President.

President Trump. But I just want to say that His Majesty has also raised a remarkable son in his Royal Highness, Prince of Wales. Really amazing. We've gotten to know you, and I think you're going to have an unbelievable success in the future.

Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine, so radiant and so healthy and so beautiful. It's really a great honor. Thank you.

Many years ago, His Majesty opened his archives to a biographer. Among the documents was a letter from 1993 in which he described the patriotism and [that; White House correction] guided his many projects. He wrote that he was, quote, "entirely motivated by a desperate desire to put the 'great' back into Great Britain."

In the finest tradition of British sovereigns, he has given his whole heart—everything he's got—to those parts of Britain that are beyond the realm of mere legislation—it's not easy—but which define its essence and its virtue, its harmony and its soul.

It's an amazing calling, and there's nobody that's answered that calling like you have.

A fifth of all of humanity speaks, writes, thinks, and prays in the language born on these isles and perfected in the pages of Shakespeare and Dickens and Tolkien and Lewis, Orwell, and Kipling—incredible people, unbelievable people like we have rarely seen before and probably won't see again.

The lionhearted people of this kingdom defeated Napoleon, unleashed the Industrial Revolution, destroyed slavery, and defended civilization in the darkest days of fascism and communism.

The British gave the world the Magna Carta, the modern Parliament, and Francis Bacon's scientific method. They gave us the works of Locke and Hobbes, Smith and Burke, Newton and Blackstone.

The legal, intellectual, cultural, and political traditions of this kingdom have been among the highest achievements of mankind. There's really never been anything like it.

The British Empire laid the foundations of law, liberty, free speech, and individual rights virtually everywhere the Union Jack has ever flown, including a place called America. [Laughter] You know that place very well, don't you?

His Majesty spoke eloquently about the bond which inspired Sir Winston Churchill—the bust is in the Oval Office right now, the beautiful bust of Winston Churchill—to coin the phrase "Special Relationship." But seen from American eyes, the word "special" does not begin to do it justice.

We're joined by history and fate, by love and language, and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry, and destiny. We're like two notes in one chord or two verses of the same poem, each beautiful on its own but really meant to be played together.

The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It's irreplaceable and unbreakable. And we are, as a country, as you know, doing unbelievably well. We had a very sick country one year ago, and today I believe we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. In fact, nobody is even questioning it, but we owe so much of that to you and the footing that you gave us when we started.

Together, we've done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history. Together, we must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are, and we must continue to stand for the values and the people of the English-speaking world. And we do, indeed, stand for that.

On behalf of all Americans, I offer a toast to one of the great friendships; to two great countries; and to His Majesty, King Charles III, a very, very special man, and also a very, very special Queen.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much.

It's a great honor to be with you.