Philip IV of Spain

Who was Philip IV of Spain?

Philip IV of Spain was King of Spain and Portugal as Philip III. He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain until his death and in Portugal until 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts, including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the challenging period of the Thirty Years' War.

On the eve of his death in 1665, the Spanish Empire had reached 12.2 million square kilometres in area but in other respects was in decline, a process to which Philip's inability to achieve successful domestic and military reform is felt to have contributed.