BOSTON – Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe stressed Thursday the
American identity of his country and the Hispanic identity of
the Americas in a speech at Harvard University’s Kennedy School
of Government. The prince recalled Spain’s role in the history
of the United States and said that the two countries “can work
together throughout the Americas for the benefit of all
societies in this area, and for ourselves.” Felipe spoke about
the mark Spain left on the history of the United States,
recalling, for example, that Spaniards contributed to U.S.
independence and that the 1812 Spanish Constitution was in force
in territories that today are states of the union. “Ultimately,
I like to see Spain not just as a European, American and
Mediterranean country, but rather as one with a truly universal
reach,” the prince said after reviewing Spanish influence at the
historical, cultural, linguistic, geopolitical and economic
levels. The prince emphasized the importance of Spanish in the
United States, spoken by the country’s l