Mr. President,

 

May I on behalf of the whole Churchill family, thank you very much for the great honour you have done to the memory of Winston Churchill, by conferring upon him, in memoriam, the lnsignia of the Order of the White Lion.

 

We are indeed deeply honoured at this wonderful gesture by the President, that he should have thought fit to recognise Winston Churchill in this way.

 

Churchill was a devoted supporter, advocate and admirer of your country, both in peace and in war.

 

Here is Churchill speaking in a wireless broadcast to the Czechs in some of the darkest days of the war.

 

"Throughout history no European nation has shown a greater will to survive than yours, and today, again, your people have given countless proofs of their courage in adversity. Here in Britain we have welcomed with pride and gratitude, your soldiers and airmen who have come by daring escapes to take part with ever increasing success in that battle for Britain.

 

It is because we both are fighting for the fundamental decencies of human life, that we are determined that neither our struggle nor your struggle shall be in vain."

 

He went on, "ln this hour of your martyrdom I send you this message. The battle which we in Britain are fighting today is not only our battle. lt is also your battle, and, indeed, the battle of all nations who prefer liberty to a soulless serfdom. lt is the struggle of civilised nations for the right to live their own life in the manner of their own choosing. lt represents man's instinctive defiance of tyranny and of an impersonal universe."

 

And he concluded by saying this, "With firmness and resolution, two qualities which our nations share in equal measure, these aims will be achieved. Be of good cheer. The hour of our deliverance will come. The soul of freedom is deathless: it cannot, and will not, perish."

 

And so, that hour did come and we can reflect today on how thrilled Churchill would have been to see this country take her rightful place, and in particular to see the closer ties between our two counties.

 

Mr. President, I was very honoured to meet you earlier this year when I unveiled the heroic statue of the Winged Lion here in this beautiful city, to commemorate the extraordinary sacrifice and achievements of those brave men from this country, who served with such gallantry with the Royal Air Force in the last War. The bonds between our two countries are the stronger because they were forged not only in peace but also on the anvil of War. Long may they prosper.

 

Mr. President, Churchill would be immensely proud, as his family are, of the great honour you have done him this day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

Photo: With Sir Nicholas Winton who received the Order of the White Lion on the same day for his work in rescuing Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.