Felipe and Letizia to visit US

Washington, D.C, is set to welcome another royal couple in mid-September.  King Felipe V and Queen Letizia will be making an official (not state) visit to the United States from September 14-18.

Although the final plans have not been released,  the King and Queen will be meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on September 15.   They will be the third royal couple to visit the White House this year.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall paid an official visit to the White House in March, where the President welcomed them to the Oval Office.  The Prince of Wales got a nice treat when the President invited him to see the Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to then President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.   King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands paid a courtesy call on the President in early June,  after a poignant trip to Arlington National Cemetery where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

This will be the Spanish couple's first trip to the White House, although King Felipe has already met President Obama.

On July 27, the White House released a statement regarding the visit:

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain

President Obama will host Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain at the White House on September 15, 2015.  The King and Queen will visit the United States September 14-18.  They are scheduled to visit Miami, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida in addition to Washington, DC.  Their visit reinforces the strong and enduring ties between the American and Spanish people.


King Felipe and Queen Letizia spent several days in New York City in September 2014, where the King spoke about climate change at the United States.  On September 24, he met privately with President Obama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/09/24/inenglish/1411548805_774364.html

Queen Letizia, as Princess of Asturias, joined Queen Sofia, when they welcomed Michelle Obama and her daughter, Sasha, to Mallorca in 2010.

Felipe and Letizia last visited Miami in 2013.


During their upcoming visit to Washington, D.C., the royal couple are expected to see several of the capital's iconic attractions.  They will also visit Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County, where they are expected to lay a wreath at Washington's tomb.
(The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall did the same thing when they visited Mount Vernon in March.)

  On September 16, the King and Queen will have breakfast at the Embassy of Spain, hosted by ICEX Spanish Exports and Investments, in honor of American businesses that have invested in Spain.   This will be followed by a meeting with Spanish and American scientists at Georgetown University.   The King received a master's in foreign relations from the university in 1995.  He roomed with his cousin, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece,  and on the same day, they received their degrees,  Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, were presented with honorary degrees.
washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/06/02/spains-king-to-be-went-to-georgetown-university


The King and Queen will then fly to Florida to attend an event at Miami-Dade University.  On their final day, Felipe and Letizia will travel of St. Augustine, Florida, which is celebrating its 450th anniversary.  The city, which is the oldest in the United States. is hosting a Spain-United States forum.