Today is the birthday of Philip II of Spain, in 1527, to Charles V – the Holy Roman Emperor – and Isabella of Portugal – in Valladolid, in Spain.
He played an important part in our story throughout the middle and late 16th century. First, he was the consort of Mary Tudor – she was very much in love with him, though he viewed the whole arrangement as more necessary to bring England back into the Catholic fold.
Next, he would be a major part of Elizabeth’s foreign policy maneuverings. After she rejected his marriage proposal, her pirates raided his ships bringing back gold from the Americas, and defeated the Spanish Armada that he ordered as an invasion force.
That’s your Tudor Minute for today. Remember you can dive deeper into life in 16th century England through the Renaissance English History Podcast at englandcast.com.
Suggested links:Â
The Spanish Armada Part I: A 30 Year Road to Battle…
Armada II: The Battle
Spring 2019 Tudor Summit: Dr. Estelle Paranque on Elizabeth I Through Foreign Eyes
From the shop:
Celebrations of Elizabeth I Collection
Featuring: Elizabeth I Armada Portrait Leather Handbag
Ps. All products are made on-demand and can take a few weeks to ship.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop. She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.