What would you do if you were the king of a giant country like Spain? King Philip was just that and for a long time. He was king of Spain for fourth-two years and accomplished many great tasks. Philip II was a great ruler of Spain and helped the country out a lot. He influenced Spain by making Madrid, Spain’s capital, starting the Spanish Golden Age, and defeating the French army at St. Quentin. Philip II of Spain was born in Valladolid, Spain, on May 21, 1527. His parents were Isabella of Portugal and Roman emperor Charles V. Philip’s father sent messages to him telling him not to trust his advisors too much and that God had called him. “From 1534 Charles conferred on his son the regency of Spain whenever he himself was abroad. From 1548 until 1551, Philip traveled in Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands, but his great reserve and his inability to speak fluently any language except Castilian made him unpopular with German and Flemish nobility ( Britannica.com 1).” Philip II married four different women. First, he married his cousin Maria, then he married Mary I. His third marriage was with Elizabeth Valois and finally with Anna of Austria (Britannica.com 2). Philip had a very big family. He received the land of Milan in 1540, the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples in 1544, the kingdoms of Spain and the Spanish overseas empire, and lastly his father resigned the Netherlands in hi favour in 1555. Philip also received the Franche Comté and the Habsburg dominions, and his Uncle