Malaysian royalty passed through El Paso on Saturday, as Malaysia’s king and queen were on their way to a horse race in New Mexico.
FBI officials confirmed King Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and his wife, Queen Nur Zahirah, were in El Paso this past weekend. Officials said the royal couple were going to an equestrian race in Las Cruces or near the area.

Andrea Simmons, FBI spokesperson, said, because of their status, the agency was informed that the royal couple were going to fly into El Paso.

But Simmons said she did not have any other details about their trip.

Malaysia is made up of 13 states and is located in southeast Asia, between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

El Paso Saddleblanket Co. owner Dusty Henson said “his majesty” and “her majesty” visited the store on Saturday.

“The lady Malaysian ambassador was in last Thursday. She said the king and queen would be in Las Cruces for some kind of endurance (horse) race and they might want to bring the king and queen into the store Saturday morning,” he said. “Then I get a call around 10:30 a.m. (Saturday) saying they would be at the (store) in 10 minutes.”

About 60 people arrived in limousines and SUVs, Henson said.

Henson said the queen bought turquoise jewelry and the king bought cowboy spurs, leather belts and asked about cowboy boots. The King had had make plans to visit The El Paso Saddleblanket showroom before leaving Malaysia.

The royal couple were also with a boy, about 6 years old, and a girl, about 4 years old.

“King Mizan was about 40 … I was told that you address him as ‘your majesty’ and the queen as ‘her majesty,’” Henson said. “I went up and shook his hand and welcomed him to El Paso Saddleblanket. He was shy and didn’t seem to speak much English.”
Abidin, 45, was proclaimed king of Malaysia on April 27. The country’s constitutional monarchy system rotates the kingship every 5 years.

Malaysia’s king is an “enthusiastic sportsman who is famously passionate about horse riding, golf, tennis and scuba diving,” according to the International Herald Tribune Asia-Pacific.