King Felipe VI of Spain speaks of shared heritage in Miami

MIAMI (AP) – In his first visit to Florida since taking the throne, King Felipe VI of Spain encouraged Miami Dade College students from immigrant families not to feel torn in their loyalty between two countries.

Felipe delivered the message Thursday during the college’s fall commencement at the historic Freedom Tower, the first stop in the United States for thousands of newly arrived Cuban immigrants.

The message was a poignant one for the hundreds in the crowd, including a large number of Cuban American students.

The 47-year-old Felipe was proclaimed king a little more than a year ago, replacing his scandal-plagued father, former King Juan Carlos.