Person

Philip II of Spain

r. 1556–1598 · 16th century

Philip II was King of Spain from 1556 to 1598, ruling the Spanish Empire at the height of its power. After the death of the Portuguese king Sebastião at Alcácer Quibir in 1578 and the resulting succession crisis, he became King of Portugal in 1580, uniting the two crowns. His reign also saw the revolt of the Netherlands and the failed Armada against England in 1588.

Philip II of Spain
Image: Sofonisba Anguissola · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 10 profiles

Portuguese EmpireMilitarySpanish EmpireFoundationSaadi SultanateImpactKingdom of PortugalDecline, SummaryDuchy of BrabantGovernance, ImpactDuchy of SavoyMilitaryDuchy of Parma and PiacenzaFoundationGrand Duchy of TuscanyFoundationDutch RepublicFoundation, SummaryNeo-Inca StateImpact, Summary

Mentioned in 15 state histories

HuexotzincoCounty of HorneHabsburg NetherlandsLordship of FrisiaHabsburg SpainSpanish NetherlandsState of the PresidiFrench FloridaRoyal Audiencia of QuitoGovernorate of TucumánSpanish FloridaCaptaincy General of the Philippinesand 3 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Philip II of Spain. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philip-ii-of-spain
MLA
“Philip II of Spain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philip-ii-of-spain. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Philip II of Spain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philip-ii-of-spain.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Philip II of Spain’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philip-ii-of-spain (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻