Philip II (1527 – 1598) & Philip III ( 1578 – 1621) was King of Spain.PHILIP III WAS ALSO as Philip II, King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death.
king PHILIP II of spain
Philip
II (1527 – 1598) was King of Spain (1556–98), King of Portugal
(1581–98, as Philip I, Filipe I), King of Naples and Sicily (both from
1554), and jure uxoris King of England and Ireland (during his marriage
to Queen Mary I from 1554–58).He was also Duke of Milan. From 1555, he
was lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands. Known in Spain
as "Felipe el Prudente" ('"Philip the Prudent'"), his empire included
territories on every continent then known to Europeans, including his
namesake the Philippines.He spent his childhood with his mother at the
royal court in Castile. One of her Portuguese ladies, Dona Leonor de
Mascarenhas, helped her in rearing him. He forged life-long close
relationships with his two pages, Rui Gomes da Silva and Luis de
Requesens. During his reign, Spain reached the height of its influence
and power. This is sometimes called the Golden Age. He was born in the
Spanish capital Valladolid, Philip was the first child and the only son
to reach adulthood of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his Portuguese
wife, Isabella. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Philip I of
Castile. He had two younger sisters, Maria and Joanna, and several
paternal half-siblings, including Isabel of Castile, Margaret, Tadea,
and John of Austria.The expression, "the empire on which the sun never
sets," was coined during Philip's time to reflect the extent of his
dominion.Filipe II main project was the Palace of Escorial outside
Madrid completed in a remarkable 22 years. His other project was the
encirclement of France. He married Mary Tudor at Winchester cathedral in
1554. He was thought of as King of England everywhere except England
where he was royal consort. Catholic Queen Mary suddenly died childless
and Philip was unsuccessful in wooing Protestant Elizabeth I. Philip
turned Spanish foreign policy around by marrying 14 year old Elizabeth
Valois daughter of the King of France.During Filipe II reign the Spanish
Inquisition was at its height. Its original mission was to root our
suspected false converts to the Catholic faith and with the reformation
it had much work to do. Filipe moved Spain's capital from Toledo to a
village called Madrid so that he could remodel it to his liking.King
Philip II was nothing if not devout, an austere and joyless man who in
the 16th Century built what is surely one of the most somber religious
structures in all of Christendom, the majestic yet severe
monastery-palace-pantheon that has put this village on the map.Philip
was both military hero and spendthrift monarch, gaining control of the
Mediterranean and the crown of Portugal, but emptying Spain’s coffers
with endless wars, the ill-fated Spanish Armada and such prodigal
projects as the monastery.Yet his legacy cannot be bypassed by anyone
seriously interested in the history and beauty of Spain--a bountiful
trove of the world’s finest paintings, priceless furnishings and
tapestries, a magnificent library and the marble tombs of Spanish rulers
for almost five centuries.El Escorial, a pretty place 35 miles
northwest of Madrid in the foothills of the Guadarrama Mountains, is
usually relegated to a day trip from the capital. But it comes into its
own after tour buses have left and villagers relax at a cafe during the
early evening. This delightful town seems held together by numerous tiny
plazas.He spent his childhood with his mother at the royal court in
Castile. One of her Portuguese ladies, Dona Leonor de Mascarenhas,
helped her in rearing him. He forged life-long close relationships with
his two pages, Rui Gomes da Silva and Luis de Requesens.The Spanish
culture and court life deeply influenced him. He learned Spanish,
Portuguese, and Latin, and demonstrated moderate propensity in arms and
letters alike. He enjoyed hunting as a sport and was fond of music. He
studied under Juan Martínez Siliceo, the future Archbishop of Toledo and
humanist Juan Cristóbal Calvete de Estrella. Classical works were
translated into Spanish with his patronage.After his mother’s death due
to a miscarriage, his often-absentee father took an active interest in
his upbringing. He received a thorough political education from Charles,
who was impressed by his diligence and seriousness. His martial
training was overseen by his governor, the commendador mayor of Castile
Juan de Zúñiga. He received the practical lessons of warfare from
Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the general Duke of Alba during the Italian
Wars (1542-46).Philip, being the nephew of Christine of Denmark, the
widow of the previous Duke Francesco II Sforza, was made the Duke of
Milan on October 11, 1540. Three years later, satisfied by his son’s
acumen in statesmanship, Charles handed him the regency of Spain. Philip
had some of his father’s best advisors to help him govern, such as de
Toledo and secretary Francisco de los Cobos. He also had written
instructions from his father to rule with "piety, patience, modesty, and
distrust.The Spanish culture and court life deeply influenced him. He
learned Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin, and demonstrated moderate
propensity in arms and letters alike. He enjoyed hunting as a sport and
was fond of music. He studied under Juan Martínez Siliceo, the future
Archbishop of Toledo and humanist Juan Cristóbal Calvete de Estrella.
Classical works were translated into Spanish with his patronage.After
his mother’s death due to a miscarriage, his often-absentee father took
an active interest in his upbringing. He received a thorough political
education from Charles, who was impressed by his diligence and
seriousness. His martial training was overseen by his governor, the
commendador mayor of Castile Juan de Zúñiga. He received the practical
lessons of warfare from Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the general Duke of
Alba during the Italian Wars (1542-46).Philip was born 21 May 1527. When
he was sixteen years old, Philip married Maria Manuela, Princess of
Portugal. Maria was Philip’s paternal first cousin. Maria Manuela was
one of ten children, but only she, her brother Prince João Manuel, and
half-brother Duarte survived to adulthood. Maria’s father outlived all
his children. Maria was about five months younger than Philip, as she
was born 15 October 1527. The cousins were married on 12 November 1543,
their dynastic marriage between the Prince of Asturias and Infanta of
Portugal being one of the most opulent weddings in Spanish history.
Within about a year, Maria became pregnant with the couple’s son. Sadly,
she died on 12 July 1545 due to complications of her son Don Carlos’
birth.Philip next married Mary I of England, a woman who was eleven
years his senior and his first cousin, once removed. As mentioned above,
Philip was the great nephew of Mary’s mother, Katharine of Aragon.
Katharine’s sister Juana of Castile was Philip’s grandmother. Mary I had
been betrothed at a young age to Philip’s father, the Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V. Charles abandoned those plans due to the age gap
between he and his cousin Mary, and instead married Philip’s mother.
After a couple claims of pregnancy and no forthcoming heir, Mary I died
in November 1558, leaving Philip a widower for the second time.After the
death of Mary I, Philip married Elisabeth of Valois as a result of
terms negotiated in the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis. Originally betrothed
to Philip’s son Don Carlos*, Elisabeth was the daughter of Catherine de
Medici and Henry II of France. Elisabeth’s marriage to Philip helped
solidify the peace between France and Spain, bringing an end to the
Habsburg-Valois wars. This series of wars extended from 1494 to 1559 as a
dispute between the two families over who had the hereditary claim to
the Duchy of Milan, amongst other territories. Elisabeth and Philip were
married by proxy at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris during the summer of
1559 when she was 14 and Philip 32. The young woman was twenty-eight
years younger than Mary I of England, Philip’s second wife. Elisabeth
was known to represent her husband at diplomatic meetings, such as that
held in Bayonne in 1565 to discuss tensions over France’s Protestant
population. Elisabeth endured four pregnancies, only two of which
resulted in successful births. Her first pregnancy, with twin girls,
ended in a miscarriage in 1564. Next. Elisabeth gave birth to her
daughter the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain in 1566. Her next
daughter, Catherine Michelle of Spain, was born in 1567. Elisabeth died
in October 1568, shortly after miscarrying another daughter.Finally,
Philip married his niece, Anna of Austria. Anna was born in November
1549, making her husband a full twenty-two years her elder. Anna’s
father was the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Anna was betrothed to
Philip in 1569 and the two were married by proxy in 1570. Elizabeth I of
England, Philip’s former sister-in-law, allowed Anna to safely pass
through English waters on her way from Austria through the Netherlands
down to Spain. She and her new husband shared similar personalities and
got along famously. Much to Philip’s delight, the first four of his five
children with Anna were boys. Sadly, only one survived to adulthood. He
became Philip III of Spain.Philip’s series of marriages and hoped-for
heirs shows that it was not just Henry VIII of England who was concerned
over having an heir or concerned about making an appropriate dynastic
match. This also shows how, even in the mid-sixteenth century, the
Habsburg family’s gene pool was already becoming quite restricted. Three
of Philip’s four wives were closely related to him. Charles II of
Spain, the great-grandson of Philip and his last wife Anna, would be the
last direct male descendant of Philip’s to occupy the throne of Spain.
Philip
II married four times and was four times a widower. The son of his
first wife, Maria of Portugal, died in prison in 1568. His second wife,
Mary I of England, bore him no children. His third wife, Elizabeth of
Valois, bore him two daughters.Elizabeth de Valois (called Isabel in
Spain) was born on April 2, 1545 at the royal palace of Fontainebleau.
She was the second child of King Henri II, then Duc d’Orléans and his
wife Catherine de’Medici. She was born during the reign of her
grandfather King François I. There was a magnificent baptismal ceremony
for Elizabeth at Fontainebleau.
King
Philip II of Spain banqueting with his family and courtiers.Philip’s
father retired in January of 1556 and divided his empire. The central
European Habsburg domains came under the patrimony of his brother
Ferdinand and the Spanish domains were turned over to Philip to rule.
Charles V had engaged in war with France starting in 1552. Philip
renewed these hostilities and was eager to bring England into the fray.
king PHILIP III of spain
Philip
III was born in Madrid on April 4, 1578 to King Philip II of Spain and
his fourth wife and niece Anna, the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II and Maria of Spain. Philip III later married his cousin
Margaret of Austria, sister of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.Philip
III was the son of King Philip II, whom he succeeded in 1598, when he
was 20 years old. From the outset of his reign he virtually gave over
the government to Francisco de Lerma, his favorite, who was the true
ruler of Spain for the next 2 decades. Philip's inheritance included the
crises and dilemmas that had wracked Spain during the previous half
century. During the first 2 years of his reign, the country was ravaged
by a plague that probably wiped out the 15-percent increase in the
Spanish population in the 16th century. Although projects of a reforming
nature, including plans to restructure the tax system, were submitted
to the King and his ministers, regional traditionalism and vested
interests blocked change.In 1607 the Crown was forced to repudiate its
debts. The drain of funds caused by the Dutch War and the futility of
pursuing the struggle in the Netherlands led to a 12-year truce in 1609.
In effect, it indicated Spain's failure to subdue its rebellious
subjects in the Netherlands. To camouflage this failure, news of the
truce was accompanied by a popular measure, the expulsion of the
Moriscos (Moors converted to Christianity). They were looked upon with
suspicion as potential allies of Spain's enemies and with resentment as
hardworking people who saved most of their money. Stringent measures
against them had been taken earlier under Philip II. Now about 275, 000
Moriscos were expelled; most went to North Africa. Spain suffered
economic loss, especially in Aragon and Valencia, though not as much as
following the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.Philip III inherited a
disastrous economy from his father, Philip II. Spain was essentially a
bankrupt nation by 1598.The decline of Spain was not sudden. Philip II
had seriously drained Spain’s resources and Philip III had inherited his
father’s legacy. The fear of such bodies such as the Inquisition had
dwindled as intellectuals openly discussed Spain’s plight and analysed
the reasons for this. It was stated in the open that the Spain of the
C17th was not as strong as the Spain in the C16th. These intellectuals
suggested reforms : public spending had to be cut and people had to be
left with more money to spend to stimulate the economy in terms of
production. The desired for increased wealth would also create more
social stability.Economically, Spain was on a short fuse. Her wealth was
based on her trade with the Americas – especially the silver mines of
Latin America. However, her presence in the region was now being
challenged by other European states (especially the United Provinces)
and the region itself was moving towards ‘independence’. Peru and Mexico
were witnessing a growth in their economies and needed products which
Spain could not provide. Not unnaturally, both countries looked
elsewhere for trade. These regions also realised that the vast fortunes
generated in their own countries was being lost and that they could
better use that wealth if it stayed in their own country. This attitude
fuelled the ‘independence’ movement and lead to a large decrease in the
silver bullion that was reaching Spain.
Philip
married his cousin, Margaret of Austria, on 18 April 1599, a year after
becoming king. Margaret, the sister of the future Emperor Ferdinand II,
would be one of three women at Philip's court who would apply
considerable influence over the king.Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain
(1584–1611)Margaret of Austria (1584–1611), of the Habsburg family,
became Queen consort of Spain & Portugal by her marriage to King
Philip III, of the Habsburg family. Margaret was the daughter of
Archduke Charles II of Austria, the son of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I
& Maria Anna of Bavaria.
For many, the decline of Spain can
be dated to the economic difficulties that set in during the early years
of his reign. Nonetheless, as the ruler of the Spanish Empire at its
height and as the king who achieved a temporary peace with the Dutch
(1609-1621) and brought Spain into the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
through an (initially) extremely successful campaign, Philip's reign
remains a critical period in Spanish history.In 1598, 2 million ducats a
year was entering Spain. By 1618, only 800,000 ducats entered Spain. It
did increase to 1 million and stayed at that level but a 50% decline in
this form of revenue was a severe blow to Spain. However, this revenue
had not been ‘spent’ by the time it arrived in Spain – this was the only
part of Philip’s revenue not to have been spent. It was used to finance
a foreign policy. By 1618 – the start of the Thirty Years War – Spain’s
impact on European policy was limited and her involvement in the war as
a whole was not that expected from a great power.Spain’s internal
economy was weak. There was little industry and agriculture was stifled
with backwardness. Estates were vast and worked by peasants who had been
ruined by taxation. Their willingness to work for others had been
severely limited. Agricultural development was stunted. The failure to
use such basic reforms as irrigation – first seen in the reign of Philip
II – continued after 1598.Castille also suffered during the reign of
Philip III. There had been a huge population drift from the rural areas
to the towns and cities. Peasants and small holders lost about 50% of
their income to various taxes. The rest was not enough to live off of
and many small holders sold off their land to the large estate owners
and moved to the towns and cities. Food was grown haphazardly on these
estates and the towns and cities were not well supplied with food.
Disease and cramped living conditions weakened those who lived in urban
areas and in 1599, the bubonic plague hit Castille. About 500,000 died.
Only a major change in government policy could help Spain. This had to
be a policy of making the rich pay their fair share of taxation. As
Philip III let the rich grandees govern for him, it was highly unlikely
that this would ever happen.hey were the last people who would make
sacrifices for Spain.The development of large estates was not
necessarily a bad thing for Spain – but this proved to be the case. The
owners were more concerned with prestige and did little to develop their
land which would have been of benefit to the towns and cities.
Improving yields was not a high priority and landlords spent much time
at the court of Philip III enjoying life, hunting and finding government
posts. The nobility paid no tax. About 10% of Spain’s population
claimed to be noble. The Catholic Church also paid no tax and by 1660
there were about 200,000 clerics and the Church owned 20% of all land.
How active Philip III’s foreign policy was depended on how much silver
he had to spend. When there appeared to be plenty, he could be
aggressive. If there was little, he had to rely on diplomacy as opposed
to war. However, the court in Madrid was frequently filled with those
who wanted an aggressive foreign policy and Philip was usually
persuaded.The time limit on the truce with the Dutch symbolized the
expectancy throughout Europe that war would again break out, and not
only in the Netherlands. Spain entered the Thirty Years War, which began
in Bohemia in 1618, but its early successes were short-lived, and
Spain's participation in the war contributed still more to its overall
decline.Lerma was overthrown in 1618 and succeeded by the Duke of Uceda.
Meanwhile, Philip engaged in devotional exercises or whiled away his
time hunting, enjoying the theater, and hosting lavish banquets, his
role seemingly reduced to providing an heir to the throne. His marriage
to Margaret of Austria produced eight children, one of whom succeeded
him as Philip IV upon his death on March 31, 1621. His daughter Anne of
Austria became the consort of Louis XIII of France.
The
predominance of Holland was not unopposed within the ranks of the
rebels. An internal conflict was going on between the wealthy class
which dominated the towns, a class that was especially strong in
Holland, and the lower middle class led by the Calvinist clergy. The
latter group tended to see political events from a religious point of
view, while the wealthy oligarchs, though they were also Protestants,
felt that the church should be kept subordinate to the civil authority.
Their overriding allegiance was to freedom rather than to religion, and
they had no intention of trading Spanish tyranny for the tyranny of the
Calvinist church. They therefore fought the persistent efforts of the
church to dominate the state. The outcome of the struggle on the whole
favored the oligarchy with its more secular outlook. Their victory was
the victory of the province of Holland, which also provided the civil
and military leaders who proved able successors of William of Orange.
The civilian leader was Oldenbarnevelt; the general was Maurice of
Nassau, one of William's sons, who was able to take the offensive even
before the death of Parma.A further development of Dutch trade (using
the term Dutch to refer to the northern provinces) came from Philip's
efforts to damage it. When he forbade the use of Spanish and Portuguese
harbors to the ships of the rebels, they retaliated by going directly to
the sources of the trade. Soon their ships were to be found in the
Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the waters of the Far East. They
increasingly encroached on the trade of the Portuguese Empire in the
East, and the climax came in 1602 with the formation of the Dutch East
India Company, destined to play an important role in the history of the
country.Even after the death of Philip II in 1598 and the accession of
Philip III, fighting continued, but the military situation had by this
time reached a point of stalemate, and both sides were anxious to stop
the fighting. Discussions toward this end were begun in 1606.
Negotiations owed a great deal to the efforts of France and England,
which served as mediators. A final peace settlement proved impossible
for the time being, because the Spanish demanded that the Dutch give up
their trade with the East, which they refused to do. The best that could
be obtained was a truce, which was opposed by Maurice, who wanted
nothing less than full Spanish recognition of Dutch independence.
Finally, however, a truce was agreed to in 1609, for a twelve-year
period.Although fighting was resumed at the end of the truce period and
full recognition of the new nation did not come until 1648, by 1609 the
Dutch republic, an independent state, had for all practical purposes
been born. It was to play a dazzling part in history, and to be,
especially in the seventeenth century, one of the great powers of
Europe. In art and learning it was to make splendid contributions to
civilization. It was to serve as a refuge for victims of religious
intolerance elsewhere. It was to create a great colonial and commercial
empire. It was to produce, in the person of the great-grandson of
William of Orange, the leader of the forces of European freedom against
the aggressions of Louis XIV. Many men contributed to this greatness,
but none of it would have been possible without the selfless devotion
and unconquerable courage of William the Silent. The history of his
country is his monument.