Philip II

Philip II

Philip II (1527-1598) was a Spanish king who ruled one of the largest empires ever created. He belonged to the Habsburg (or Hapsburg) royal family. In 1555 and 1556, Philip's father--who ruled Spain as Charles I and the Holy Roman Empire as Charles V--gave up his crowns. In 1556, Philip became king of Spain and ruler of lands that included what are now Belgium, the Netherlands, part of Italy, and much of Central and South America.

Philip spent much of his reign at war defending his empire. Philip's many wars strained Spain's resources and contributed to its slow decline in the 1600's.

Philip considered himself the champion of the Roman Catholic faith and strongly supported the Inquisition, which punished Christians accused of holding views opposed to those of the church. He also built El Escorial, a palace and religious center near Madrid.

Philip was born at Valladolid, Spain. The Philippine Islands, where Spain established a colony in 1565, were named after him.

Excerpt adapted from the "Spanish Armada" and "Philip II" articles, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999