Spain's king has said he believes an agreement can be reached on the status of Gibraltar that is "acceptable to all involved".

King Felipe raised the thorny issue of the British territory as he addressed MPs and Peers at the Houses of Parliament during a visit to the UK.

He expressed confidence that "differences" over the issue could be set aside in a speech stressing the two countries long history of cooperation.

The monarch comments come after an increase of tension over Gibraltar in recent years.

Spain has long believed that the territory should be part of its kingdom - though residents voted to remain part of the UK in a 1967 referendum.

There have also been fears that Madrid could use its position to put pressure on Gibraltar after the vote for Brexit.

In his speech today, King Felipe also warned that Spanish citizens in the UK must have "sufficient assurance and certainty" over their futures after Brexit.

He said that Brexit "saddens" Spain but that it "fully respects" the will of the British people.

However, he added: "We must particularly bear in mind the thousands of Britons and Spaniards who live in each of our nations, who form a sound foundation for our relations.

"Those citizens have a legitimate expectation of decent and stable living conditions,for themselves and their families.

"I therefore urge our two governments to continue working to ensure that the agreement on the UK's withdrawal from the EU provides sufficient assurance and certainty."