Philip II of Spain( 21 May 1527 - 13 September 1598 )
Philip II of Spain , called "the Prudent" , was King of Spain , King of Portugal , King of Naples and Sicily , and jure uxoris King of England and Ireland . 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" , his empire included territories on every continent then known to Europeans, including his namesake the Philippine Islands. During his reign, Spain reached the height of its influence and power. This is sometimes called the Golden Age. The expression, "the empire on which the sun never sets," was coined during Philip's time to reflect the extent of his dominion.
During Philip's reign there were separate state bankruptcies in 1557, 1560, 1569, 1575, and 1596. This was partly the cause of the declaratio...