SAN ANTONIO – Monday marked the end of the king and queen of Spain's San Antonio visit celebrating the city’s tricentennial.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited the “Spain - 500 years of Spanish Painting” exhibit at the San Antonio Museum of Art Monday morning.
Their majesties then ended their visit with the king speaking to members of Hispanic Leaders of the United States at the Hyatt Regency downtown.
Octavio Saenz, a businessman from the San Angelo area, said it was a surreal experience.
“You don’t realize how important it is until after the fact,” Saenz said.
His majesty addressed about 130 chosen Hispanic businessmen and women from around the U.S.
His speech to the crowd was in Spanish. He spoke about strengthening the relationship between Spain and the U.S.
“To me, it showed great humility," Saenz said. “It showed a great ability and a great disposition to extend that arm of friendship.”
Before King Felipe’s address at the Hispanic Leaders Summit, the royal couple got a private tour of the 500 years of Spanish paintings at the San Antonio Museum of Art. The king and queen also met with city leaders and museum donors.
Patsy Sanchez, who briefly meet with their majesties, said their trip to San Antonio said a lot about their commitment to making the connection between the two countries a strong one.
“The fact that they are so supportive and so willing to travel for special anniversaries like this one, I think says a lot about their commitment to strengthen their relationship and extend their love and support Hispanics in the United States,” Sanchez said.
The king and queen are expected to meet with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump Tuesday in Washington, D.C, as their last public stop in the U.S. before they head back home.