Dear friends of St. Augustine,
Queridos amigos de San Agustín, Thank you for this warm welcome.
We are visiting this historic and beautiful city —a true symbol of the imperishable ties that bound us Spaniards and Americans together, and a living monument honoring the Spanish role in the early days of European presence, as founders of this first permanent settlement —later city— in what today is part the the United States of America, here in the lovely state of Florida. And it is impressive to see how well the city and its heritage have been preserved and how much our common History is cherished by the people and the leaders of St. Augustine.
"...To create a city from scratch was quite an extraordinary feat of a courageous and resourceful man, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, together with the men and women that came with him. We honor them today as we celebrate with you the foundation of the city 450 years ago. Saint Augustine is a historical town closely related to its “sister cities” in Spain: Avilés in Asturias and the island of Menorca in the Balearic Islands. It is something that we can all be proud of, Spaniards and Americans, united as we are by an inspiring past and a promising future as friends and allies..."
We feel so excited and happy to finally have this great opportunity to visit you, and what a great coincidence it is that we do so marking our first official visit to the USA as King and Queen of Spain. But, above all, we are deeply touched by your affection. I assure you that this feeling is mutual and the Queen and I would like to share it with you, from the bottom of our hearts, on such a special day. One we are delighted to shave with you and also one in which we are able to greet you from this very same balcony from where my father, King Juan Carlos, accompanied by my mother Queen Sofía, had the privilege to address the citizens of this beloved city fourteen years ago.
Efectivamente —y esto es algo que deseo decir también en español, una lengua arraigada en esta querida tierra desde hace siglos—, estamos impresionados, sobre todo, por el afecto que estamos recibiendo de todos vosotros, un afecto que, os aseguro, es recíproco y que la Reina y yo queremos manifestaros de todo corazón en este día tan especial para todos nosotros. No sólo en este día tan especial, sino también desde este lugar tan singular desde el que mi padre el Rey Juan Carlos, acompañado por mi madre la Reina Sofía, se dirigió también a los habitantes de esta bella ciudad hace ya más de 14 años.
To create a city from scratch was quite an extraordinary feat of a courageous and resourceful man, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, together with the men and women that came with him. We honor them today as we celebrate with you the foundation of the city 450 years ago. Saint Augustine is a historical town closely related to its “sister cities” in Spain: Avilés in Asturias and the island of Menorca in the Balearic Islands. It is something that we can all be proud of, Spaniards and Americans, united as we are by an inspiring past and a promising future as friends and allies.
We wish you all the best to you and your families in this unforgettable day.
God bless you all. Viva San Agustín!