50 Fun Facts About Philip II of Spain

Which Asian island nation takes its name from Philip II of Spain, honored by an explorer while he was a prince?

The Philippines began as Las Islas Filipinas, a name a Spanish expedition gave to the islands of Leyte and Samar in 1543. It later spread to the whole archipelago.

Which fictional spy's family motto, the world is not enough, also appeared on a 1583 medal of Philip II of Spain?

James Bond is given the Latin phrase Orbis non sufficit in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Philip took it up as Non sufficit orbis after adding Portugal's empire to his own in 1580.

Philip II of Spain became King of England in 1554 by marrying which Catholic Tudor queen?

Mary I wed Philip just two days after first meeting him, and he shared her titles only for as long as the marriage lasted. Her death in 1558 ended his English reign.

Which vast palace-monastery in the Guadarrama mountains did Philip II of Spain build and later die in?

El Escorial, finished in 1584 after 21 years of work, is often called the largest building of the Renaissance. Philip's bed there was placed so he could follow Mass at the high altar.

Which Spanish novelist lost the use of his left hand fighting the Ottomans in Philip II of Spain's fleet in 1571?

Miguel de Cervantes took three wounds aboard the galley Marquesa, decades before he wrote Don Quixote. He stayed proud of the battle all his life and said the left hand was lost for the glory of the right.

To which queen did Philip II of Spain propose marriage soon after his English wife died in 1558?

Elizabeth I stalled on her answer until Philip arranged a French match instead. Thirty years later he sent the Armada to overthrow her.

Which ruler, the father of Philip II of Spain, gave up his crowns in 1556 and retired to a monastery at Yuste?

Charles V, crippled by gout, was carried around the monastery in a sedan chair. He lived there among paintings and walls lined with clocks until his death in 1558.

Which town did Philip II of Spain choose as the permanent seat of his court in 1561, making it the capital?

Madrid was a modest Castilian town when Philip installed his court in its old alcázar in June 1561. Apart from a few years under his son, it has been the capital ever since.

Anna, the fourth and last wife of Philip II of Spain, was already related to him in what way?

His niece Anna was the daughter of Philip's sister Maria, and the pope at first refused to allow the match. Her youngest son was the only one to outlive Philip and inherit the throne.

In which sea battle off Greece did a fleet led by Philip II of Spain's half-brother smash the Ottoman navy in 1571?

Lepanto brought together more than 450 warships, the largest naval battle in Western history since antiquity. It was also the last great clash fought almost entirely between oared galleys.

To which powerful dynasty, rulers of much of central Europe as well as Spain, did Philip II of Spain belong?

The Habsburg family split into two lines when Philip's father divided his realms in the 1550s. Philip headed the Spanish line and his uncle the other, based in Vienna.

By which nickname is Philip II of Spain, who tried to read every dispatch himself, known in his own country?

The Prudent, or el Prudente, is how Spaniards remember him. His father judged the teenage Philip studious and grave beyond his years and left him governing the Spanish kingdoms at sixteen.

Which English sea captain's 1587 raid on Cádiz became known as singeing the beard of Philip II of Spain?

Francis Drake destroyed so many ships and supplies in the harbor that the Armada sailed a year late. An order from London telling him not to attack was sent after him but never arrived.

Which title held by his father did Philip II of Spain never inherit, because it passed to his uncle Ferdinand?

Holy Roman Emperor was an elected office, and the German princes had chosen Ferdinand as the successor back in 1531. Philip, raised in Castile, was seen in Germany as a foreigner.

The Dutch revolt against Philip II of Spain grew into a struggle known by what name for its length?

The Eighty Years' War outlasted Philip by half a century. It ended only in 1648, when Spain recognized the Dutch Republic as an independent country.

Which Dutch rebel leader did Philip II of Spain outlaw in 1580, offering 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed him?

William the Silent was shot dead in Delft in 1584 by Balthasar Gérard, a Catholic who had heard of the reward. The revolt he led went on without him.

Which French king died after a jousting accident at celebrations sealing peace with Philip II of Spain in 1559?

Henry II was struck in the eye by a splinter from an opponent's lance and died ten days later. The peace had also promised his eldest daughter to Philip as a bride.

Which unstable heir of Philip II of Spain was locked up on his father's orders in 1568 and died months later?

Don Carlos was arrested by the king in person, who entered the prince's bedchamber in armor just before midnight. The story later inspired a play by Schiller and an opera by Verdi.

Which pope's new calendar did Philip II of Spain adopt in 1582, so that 4 October was followed by 15 October?

Gregory XIII issued the reform in February 1582 and Philip decreed the change that September. Because he ruled Spain, Portugal and much of Italy, much of Catholic Europe skipped ten days at once.

Which general, founder of the Council of Blood, did Philip II of Spain send to crush Dutch unrest in 1567?

The Duke of Alba was known as the Iron Duke in the Netherlands, where his tribunal condemned thousands. The Counts of Egmont and Horn were among those it sent to the block.

Which nobleman, who warned Philip II of Spain that he got seasick, was given command of the 1588 Armada anyway?

The Duke of Medina Sidonia also pleaded that he had no experience of war at sea, but the king insisted. Philip had drafted his orders three days before the previous commander died.

Which half-brother of Philip II of Spain, born to a German burgher's daughter, commanded the allied fleet in 1571?

Don John of Austria was acknowledged by his father only in a codicil to his will. He was 24 when Philip made his appointment as commander-in-chief a condition of joining the alliance.

Which island of the Knights Hospitaller did Philip II of Spain's viceroy of Sicily save from an Ottoman siege in 1565?

Malta had held out for nearly four months when 8,000 men from Sicily landed in September. Philip's father had granted the island to the knights for the rent of one falcon a year.

Which Venetian master painted a series of mythological scenes from Ovid, the poesie, for Philip II of Spain?

Titian called the canvases poems, and scholars rank them among his greatest works. Philip's more prudish successors gave most of them away as gifts.

Which Toledo painter lost any hope of royal patronage when Philip II of Spain disliked his Saint Maurice altarpiece?

El Greco saw his painting hung in a chapter house instead of the chapel it was made for. A crucifix by Benvenuto Cellini that displeased Philip was banished to a lesser spot in the same way.

Which painter of nightmarish hell scenes did the devout Philip II of Spain collect, buying a famous triptych in 1591?

Hieronymus Bosch had been dead for 75 years when Philip bought The Garden of Earthly Delights at auction. He gave it to his monastery two years later, and it moved to the Prado in 1939.

Which port, England's last foothold in France, was lost in 1558 during a war fought alongside Philip II of Spain?

Calais fell to French forces in January 1558. Philip's English wife is said to have declared that the town's name would be found lying in her heart when she died.

Which metal, mined in huge quantities at Potosí in the Andes, bankrolled the wars of Philip II of Spain?

Silver from Potosí's Cerro Rico made up an estimated 60% of global output in the later 16th century. Llamas and mules carried it to the coast for the treasure fleets.

In which city of Castile, later briefly Spain's capital under his son, was Philip II of Spain born in 1527?

Valladolid's Palacio de Pimentel, where Philip was born, belonged to a nobleman and not to the crown. At eleven months old the infant was sworn in as heir by the Cortes of Castile.

The ground plan of the palace-monastery Philip II of Spain built to honor Saint Lawrence is said to copy what object?

A gridiron was the instrument of the saint's death: tradition says he was roasted alive on one in the third century. Philip had won a great battle on the saint's feast day, 10 August.

Which 1557 battle in northern France, won on Saint Lawrence's feast day, gave Philip II of Spain an early triumph?

St. Quentin was won for Philip by Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, who defeated a French army under Anne de Montmorency. In thanks, Philip ordered a great monastery built in the Guadarrama mountains.

In which English cathedral city did Philip II of Spain marry his second wife in 1554, two days after first meeting her?

Winchester hosted the wedding on 25 July 1554. Under the marriage terms, official documents were dated with both names and coins showed both heads.

In which country were King's County and its chief town Philipstown named in 1556 for Philip II of Spain?

Ireland was his kingdom by marriage, and the new county was planted with settlers in his wife's reign. King's County is now Offaly, and Philipstown is called Daingean.

Philip II of Spain declared he would sooner lose all his realms and a hundred lives than rule over whom?

Heretics were the one kind of subject his conscience could not accept. The Dutch might have laid down their arms early on had he stopped persecuting Protestants, but he would not.

What name is given to the hostile image of Philip II of Spain and his country spread by enemy propaganda?

The Black Legend grew partly because Philip never answered his critics: he banned biographies of himself and had his private letters burned. The label itself caught on only in the early 20th century.

What did the treasury of Philip II of Spain do in 1557, 1575 and 1596, despite the riches arriving from the Americas?

The crown defaulted on its debts again and again. Philip had inherited about 36 million ducats of debt from his father, and lenders had no power to force a king to repay.

What did the devout Philip II of Spain collect some 7,500 of, storing them in 570 ornate containers at his monastery?

Saints' relics fill two altarpieces in the monastery church, with those of female saints in one and those of male saints in its twin. The architect of the building designed the cases himself.

Which favorite daughter did Philip II of Spain make joint sovereign of the Netherlands shortly before his death in 1598?

Isabella Clara Eugenia received the southern Netherlands on condition that she marry her cousin, Archduke Albert. Her father had earlier tried to put her on the throne of France.

Which secretary of Philip II of Spain, tied to the murder of Juan de Escobedo, fled abroad and smeared the king?

Antonio Pérez was freed from prison by his supporters and spent most of his remaining years in France. Philip never replied to the charges he published, which spread across Europe unchallenged.

Which Italian woman painter joined the court of Philip II of Spain in 1559 as art tutor to his teenage queen?

Sofonisba Anguissola held the rank of lady-in-waiting and painted formal portraits of the royal family. After the queen died, Philip helped arrange an aristocratic marriage for her.

By which 1581 declaration did the rebel Dutch provinces formally renounce their allegiance to Philip II of Spain?

The Act of Abjuration declared the throne vacant because of the king's conduct. Its form so resembles the American Declaration of Independence that some think Jefferson drew on it.

From which Atlantic port did the Armada of Philip II of Spain first set sail for England in May 1588?

Lisbon had been Philip's for only eight years when the fleet left in late May 1588. It counted 141 ships and more than 29,000 sailors and soldiers.

In which country did Portugal's King Sebastian fall in battle in 1578, leaving his throne open to Philip II of Spain?

Morocco's army destroyed the invaders at Alcácer Quibir, also called the Battle of Three Kings. The childless Sebastian's elderly great-uncle, a cardinal, reigned two years before Philip pressed his claim.

Which people rose against Philip II of Spain in the Alpujarras mountains after he banned their Arabic speech and dress?

The Moriscos, descendants of Muslims forced to convert, fought for more than two years. Afterwards tens of thousands of them were expelled from Granada and scattered across Castile.

Which composer's Egmont overture honors a Netherlands count beheaded in 1568 under Philip II of Spain's governor?

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote the music in 1810 for a revival of Goethe's play about the count. Egmont's calm dignity on the scaffold was widely noted at the time.

Which grandmother of Philip II of Spain, in name Queen of Castile, was confined at Tordesillas until she died in 1555?

Joanna the Mad was declared insane and shut away, first on her father's orders and then under her son. Historians debate whether the madness was real or a way to discredit her.

In which city's Coudenberg Palace did the father of Philip II of Spain give up rule of the Netherlands in 1555?

Brussels was the scene of every one of his father's abdications. Crippled by gout, the old ruler gave his farewell speech in tears, leaning on the shoulder of a young nobleman.

Whose army in Flanders was the Armada of Philip II of Spain supposed to escort across the Channel in 1588?

The Duke of Parma was to cross in unarmed barges from the Flemish coast, but word came too late that his men were not ready to embark. Disease had cut his army to about 16,000.

Which architect finished the great monastery of Philip II of Spain and gave his name to its sober, unadorned style?

Juan de Herrera took over in 1567 when the first architect died and reworked the design to suit the king's austere taste. The Herrerian style shaped Spanish building for over a century.

Which long series of conflicts with France did Philip II of Spain bring to a close with a treaty in 1559?

The Italian Wars had set the French crown against Philip's family since 1494. The peace of Cateau-Cambrésis confirmed his hold on Milan, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia.