Who was Philip II

Philip II of Spain, also called “Philip the Prudent” was the king of Spain, Naples and Sicily, of Portugal and the Algarve, and of England and Ireland jure uxoris

Son and heir of Emperor Charles V (King Charles I) of Spain and Isabella of Portugal, brother of Mary of Hapsburg and Joan of Hapsburg, grandson of Joan I of Castille and Philip I of Castille on his father’s side and Manuel I of Portugal and Mary of Aragon on his mother’s side. He is one of the most important kings in history

He modernized the first worldwide empire “on which the sun never sets” that stretched over all continents. This meant many conflicts with other international powers.

In 1561, he moved the capital of Spain to Madrid and in 1563 he started to build the Monastery of El Escorial, where he died on 13th September 1598 when he was 71.