Philip II of Spain Facts & Worksheets

Philip II (born May 21, 1527, in Valladolid, Spain—died September 13, 1598, at El Escorial) was the monarch of Spain (1556-98) and Portugal (as Philip I, 1580-98) and a staunch supporter of the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation.

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Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

• Philip was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal. The emperor occasionally wrote Philip private memoranda, emphasizing the high tasks to which God had called him and advising him not to put too much reliance on any of his advisers. 
• Philip, a devoted son, took this advice to heart. Charles granted his son governorship of Spain anytime he went abroad beginning in 1543. Philip traveled across Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands from 1548 to 1551, but his extreme reserve and inability to speak any language well except Castilian rendered him unpopular among the German and Flemish nobles.
• Philip registered four marriages. The first was to his cousin Maria of Portugal around 1543.
• She died in 1545 while delivering birth to the terrible Don Carlos. Philip married Mary I of England in 1554, establishing joint rulership of England until Mary died in 1558, leaving no children.
• Philip’s third marriage, in 1559, to Elizabeth of Valois, daughter of Henry II of France, resulted from the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, which put an end to open conflicts between Spain and France for a generation. 
• For instance, Elizabeth had two daughters with Philip: Isabella Clara Eugenia (1566-1633) and Catherine Micaela (1567-97). Elizabeth died in 1568, and Philip married Anna of Austria in 1570, the daughter of his first cousin, Emperor Maximilian II, who died in 1580. Her only living son became Philip III.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICIES

• For the early 20 years of his reign, Philip sought to maintain peace with his Western European neighbors. 
• He was conducting a massive naval battle with the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean, and beginning in 1568, he was confronted with insurrection and war in the Netherlands.
• In the 1580s, Philip gradually began to believe that open involvement against England and France was the only way to maintain the Catholic religion in Western Europe and his authority in the Netherlands.
• To accomplish this, he outfitted the Armada, which was meant to conquer England with the assistance of the Spanish Army in the Netherlands (1588). He provided money and troops to help the Holy League, France’s ultra-Catholic party, defeat Henry of Navarre and the Huguenots. He even claimed the French crown for his daughter, Isabella Clara Eugenia, following Henry III’s assassination in 1589. 
• All of these initiatives failed. Henry of Navarre converted to Catholicism in 1593, and Philip was forced to acknowledge his succession as Henry IV of France at the Peace of Vervins in 1598. England and the northern Netherlands remained Protestant, unconquered. However, Philip’s rule as a whole was a good one.
• He had repulsed the Ottomans’ grand Mediterranean offensive at the Battle of Lepanto (1571). In the Iberian Peninsula, he finished the unifying effort begun by the “Catholic Monarchs,” Ferdinand and Isabella. 
• Most importantly, in his own eyes, he had achieved significant victories for the Catholic Church.  If England, Scotland, and the northern Netherlands had vanished, the southern Netherlands (modern Belgium) remained intact. 
• In November 1592, the Parliament (Cortes) of Aragón revolted against another infraction of realm-specific rules, and the kingdom’s Attorney General (Justicia), Juan de Lanuza, was beheaded on Philip II’s orders, while his secretary, Antonio Perez, fled to France. 
• In Navarre, the kingdom’s key strongholds were garrisoned by troops from outside the kingdom (Castilians), a clear breach of local rules, and the Parliament had long refused to pledge devotion to Philip II’s son and heir apparent without a suitable ceremony. 
• Philip II also dealt with the issue of the vast Morisco population in the Spanish kingdoms, which were previously compelled to convert to Christianity by his predecessors.
• In 1569, the Morisco Revolt broke out in the southern province of Granada, defying efforts to repress Moorish customs. Philip ordered the Moriscos expelled from Granada and dispersed to neighboring regions.
• During Philip’s reign, Spanish culture grew, ushering in the “Spanish Golden Age” and leaving a lasting impact on literature, music, and visual arts. Sofonisba Anguissola rose to prominence due to her talent and uncommon role as a female artist.

METHOD OF GOVERNMENT

• Philip attempted to overcome the system’s flaws by sheer hard labor. His methods have gained popularity. All work was carried out on paper, based on consultas (memoranda, reports, and recommendations provided by his ministers). 
• In Madrid, or in the somber majesty of his monastic castle of El Escorial, which he erected (1563-84), on the slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the king worked alone in his modest office, making decisions or, more frequently, deferring them. Nothing is known about his work schedule, but all of his contemporaries felt that his techniques dangerously and often fatally dragged down an administration already famed for its dilatoriness.
• Philip was meticulous and thorough in his desire for constant knowledge, concealing an inability to discriminate between the significant and trivial and a temperamental refusal to make decisions.
• However, the “black legend” that in Protestant countries portrayed Philip II as a monster of prejudice, ambition, lust, and brutality is incorrect. The iconic pictures of Philip by Titian and Sir Anthony More depict his simple and graceful features. 
• He was a book and picture enthusiast, and during his reign, Spain saw its literary Golden Age. “You may assure His Holiness,” Philip wrote to his ambassador in Rome in 1566, “that rather than suffer the least damage to religion and the service of God, I would lose all my states and a hundred lives if I had them; for I do not propose nor desire to be the ruler of heretics.” This remark may be regarded as the reign’s motto.

KING OF SPAIN

• Philip gained the throne of Milan from Charles V in 1540, followed by the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily in 1554, following his marriage to Mary of England. On October 25, 1555, Charles renounced the Netherlands in favor of Philip, followed by the kingdoms of Spain and the Spanish foreign empire on January 16, 1556.
• After returning to Spain from the Netherlands in 1559, Philip never left the Iberian Peninsula. 
• From Madrid, he managed his kingdom by personally overseeing official appointments and all sorts of patronage. Philip’s subjects outside of Castile never saw him, and they progressively turned against him and the ministers he appointed.

LEGACY

• Under Philip II, Spain achieved its pinnacle of power. Despite the large and increasing amounts of gold and silver flowing into his coffers from American mines, the immense wealth of the Portuguese spice trade, and the full backing of the Habsburg territories for the Counter-Reformation, he would never be able to suppress Protestantism or defeat the Dutch rebellion. 
• Furthermore, he stopped French Valois ambitions in Italy and ushered in the Habsburg ascendancy in Europe. He successfully extended silver imports against opposition from English, Dutch, and French thieves, survived several financial crises, and solidified Spain’s colonial empire. Despite continued skirmishes, he effectively halted the Ottoman navy’s greatest threat to Europe. He was successful in expanding silver imports against opposition from English, Dutch, and French privateers, surviving several financial crises, and solidifying Spain’s colonial empire. 

Philip II of Spain Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Philip II of Spain across 28 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Philip of Spain. Philip II was the monarch of Spain (1556-98) and Portugal (as Philip I, 1580-98) and a staunch supporter of the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Philip II of Spain Facts
2. Two Truths and a Lie
3. Words of Wisdom
4. PHILIfe History
5. Philip the Prudent
6. Conflict Situations
7. #Family_Tree
8. A Good Leader is…
9. Reality vs. Fiction
10. Tracing his Influence
11. King of Spain

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Philip II of Spain?

Philip II of Spain, born in 1527, was the King of Spain from 1556 until his death in 1598. He was the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Isabella of Portugal.

What were Philip II’s major accomplishments?

Philip II’s reign was marked by several significant achievements. He expanded the Spanish Empire to its greatest extent, incorporating territories in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. He also strengthened Spain’s naval power, notably with the famous Armada. Additionally, he played a major role in promoting Catholicism, combating Protestantism, and defending the Catholic faith through military and political means.

How did Philip II influence European politics and culture?

Philip II’s reign had a profound impact on European politics and culture. His marriage to Queen Mary I of England led to the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588, which ultimately failed but had lasting consequences on European power dynamics. His patronage of the arts, especially in the Spanish Golden Age, supported renowned artists such as El Greco and Diego Velázquez, contributing to Spain’s cultural prominence.

What were some challenges Philip II faced during his reign?

Philip II faced numerous challenges during his rule, including economic struggles due to costly military campaigns and the depletion of Spain’s wealth from the New World. He also contended with religious conflicts, particularly the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule and the rise of Protestantism in Europe, which posed threats to his authority and the Catholic Church.

What was Philip II’s legacy?

Philip II’s legacy is complex and controversial. While he is remembered for expanding the Spanish Empire and promoting Catholicism, he is also criticized for his authoritarian rule, religious intolerance, and the economic decline of Spain during his later years. Nevertheless, his reign left an indelible mark on European history, shaping political and religious dynamics for centuries to come.

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