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Philip II of Spain (Spanish: Felipe II de España; born 21 May 1527 - died 13 September 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, jure uxoris King of England and Ireland from 1554 to 1558, lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories, such as Duke or Count; and King of Portugal and the Algarves as Philip I of Portugal from 1581. Felipe II ruled one of the world's largest empires which included territories in every continent then known to Europeans. Philip's dominions further included the Kingdom of Sicily, the Duchy of Milan, and Franche Comté, a strategically important territory on the eastern borders of the kingdom of France.
Philip was born in Valladolid, the son of Charles I of Spain and his consort Isabella of Portugal. During his reign, Spain was the foremost Western European power. Under his rule, Spain reached the height of its influence and power, directing explorations all around the world and settling the colonization of territories in all the known continents.
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