Philip II of Spain
Armada's royal sponsor
Philip II of Spain (1527–1598) was king of Spain during its peak as a global power, ruling an empire that included much of the Americas, the Philippines (named for him), and briefly Portugal.
His reign saw the Spanish Armada's failed invasion of England in 1588 and fierce suppression of Protestantism.
He appears in historical contexts involving Counter-Reformation Europe, colonial expansion, and Habsburg dynastic politics.
- Battle of Lepanto1571 Mediterranean sea engagement
- Eighty Years' WarDutch independence conflict against Spain
- Spanish NetherlandsIberian-controlled Belgian region
- Spanish ArmadaDefeated invasion fleet
- RenaissanceEuropean cultural reawakening
Counter-Reformation · absolutism · Catholic Church · divine right · Jesuits · succession laws · dynastic marriage · Mary Tudor · Inquisition · Council of Trent · colonial administration · statecraft · religious wars · Spanish Empire · naval warfare · military strategy · Elizabeth · Armada
Philip II of SpainFrancis Drake
Tudor-era English admiral
Maurice of Nassau · Martin Luther · John Calvin · Protestant Reformation · Dutch Republic
Philip II of SpainCatherine de' Medici