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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The king of Spain, Louisiana's governor and the mayor of New Orleans are celebrating historical ties during the city's tricentennial.
King Felipe (feh-LEE-peh) VI says the city's cultural heritage and immense archives deserve to be better known and studied.
Gov. John Bel Edwards mentioned three Spanish governors of Louisiana during a ceremony Friday in 165-year-old Gallier Hall , which was renovated for the anniversary.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said New Orleans would not be where it is without Spain, adding that the city's strength has always been rooted in diversity.
She gave Felipe and Queen Letizia (leh-TEE-thee-uh) a framed ceremonial key to the city.
Louisiana was a Spanish colony from 1763 to 1802, but Felipe noted that historical links date back to 16th- and 17th-century Spanish explorers.
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