Philip II (Spanish: Felipe II; 21 May 1527 – 13 September 1598) was King of Spain[1] (second Philip to Castille, first to Catalonia-Aragon and the fourth to Navarre) from 1556 and of Portugal from 1581 (as Philip I, Filipe I). From 1554 he was King of Naples and Sicily as well as Duke of Milan. During his marriage to Queen Mary I (1554–58), he was also King of England and Ireland.[2][3] From 1555, he was lord of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands. Known in Spanish as "Philip the Prudent" (Felipe el Prudente), his empire included territories on every continent then known to Europeans, including his namesake Philippine Islands. During his reign, Spain reached the height of its influence and power. The expression "The empire on which the sun never sets" was coined during Philip's time to reflect the extent of his possessions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_II_of_Spain accessed 28/04/2014