King and queen of Spain to visit St. Augustine in September

St. Augustine officials confirmed Thursday that the city will have royal visitors in September.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit mid-month “as part of the 450th Commemoration,” but the itinerary still has to be finalized by the Royal Office, according to the 450th Commemoration Department.

While details are still being hashed out, a royal visit has been part of the city’s plan for years, according to Dana Ste. Claire, director of the 450th Commemoration.

The cap of a multi-year celebration for St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary will be the Celebrate 450! festival from Sept. 4-8. In addition to Celebrate 450!, the U.S.–Spain Council International Summit will be held Sept. 18-20. The forum alternates between U.S. and Spain and brings together more than 200 council members.

Spanish Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares and Consul General Cristina Barrios, of the Spanish Embassy, met with Mayor Nancy Shaver, City Manager John Regan and 450th department staff Wednesday to talk about the visit.

The king and queen are expected to visit several of St. Augustine’s historic sites, and the group visited some possible sites this week.

Shaver will be the chief representative of the city.

“The Spanish culture is near and dear to my heart. I’m both honored and delighted to be able to show St. Augustine to the king and queen of Spain,” Shaver said.

Felipe was crowned king last year after his father, formerly King Juan Carlos, abdicated the throne.

In 2001, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia visited St. Augustine. The king’s visit was met with a crowd of about 5,000 people that filled the Plaza de la Constitucion, according to a previous Record report.

The couple toured the historic district, visited the Castillo de San Marcos and dined at the Casa Monica Hotel, according to the story. It was the first time a king and queen had come to the city. Ste. Claire said King Felipe’s visit to St. Augustine could be similar to his father’s.

“The king through his channels has a very keen interest in seeing some of the same sites that his father did when he visited prior,” Ste. Claire said.

Also, Spanish newspaper El País of Madrid quoted the king expressing “an interest in participating in the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration events and noted the important contributions Hispanics have made to the development of America,” according to the 450th commemoration department.

Ste. Claire said the planned visit is an indication of St. Augustine’s importance.

“It validates our standing as one of the most important cities not only in America but one of the most important cities in the world for ... the role it played in the historic and cultural development of America,” Ste. Claire said.

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