He's making a Hispanic cultural heritage trip, as we understand it. He said that after his short stop, the king leaves St. Augustine and goes to Miami. A Royal Visit Task Force has been organized at City Hall, with the heads of ity departments as members. The committee has met once to brainstorm issues that may arise during the visit, such as protocol. But it isn't known yet if the king will mix with the public.
Security is another question the committee discussed.
St. Augustine police Chief David Shoar said his department's 10-member Community Service Unit is coordinating its coverage with the U.S. Secret Service. It's not often a head of state comes to St. Augustine. If we were cops in Washington, D.C., this would be standard operating procedure. Carlos, now 62, came to the throne with the restoration of the Spanish monarchy in November 1975, two days after the death of Gen. Francisco Franco. In February 1971, before he became king, Carlos visited St. Augustine.