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Accession of Philip III

Type Event Region Spain Time 1598

In September 1598, after the death of Philip II of Spain, his thirty-two-year-old son Philip III ("the Pious") succeeded to the throne as the third m…

Timeline

  1. 1598Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial · SpainAfter Philip II died at El Escorial, the court proclaimed his eldest son Philip III the lawful heir in accordance with the late king's will. Because Philip III had previously taken almost no part in affairs of state, nobles and ministers doubted his abilities, and the transfer of power relied on the existing Council of State and royal ceremonial procedures.
  2. 1598Royal Palace of Madrid · SpainAfter completing the coronation ceremony Philip III moved back to Madrid. His childhood companion Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas (Duke of Lerma) was appointed chief minister and effectively controlled the Council of State and the finances, inaugurating a twenty-year regime of favorite regency.
  3. 1598–1600Southern Netherlands · NetherlandsThe new regime continued the diplomatic easing following the Peace of Vervins with France and gradually adjusted its policies toward the Netherlands and England. In 1600 Spain and the Dutch Republic signed the Twelve Years' Truce, recognizing the de facto independence of the seven northern provinces and marking the empire's global strategy shifting from full-scale offense to maintaining the status quo.

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