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Philip II of Spain (Filipe I of Portugal) (1527 - 1598)

Born in Valladolid on 21 May 1527, Philip (Filipe I of Portugal) was the eighteenth King of Portugal. He died in the Escorial on 13 September 1598.

As the son of Charles V and Isabel of Portugal and grandson of Manuel I, Philip was a natural candidate for succession to the Portuguese throne, which he inherited when King Sebastian was killed/disappeared at the Battle of Ksar el Kebir.

At the Cortes or national assembly in Tomar, Philip of Spain was proclaimed Filipe I of Portugal. He undertook to respect the Portuguese jurisdiction and exemptions and to appoint only Portuguese governors or members of the Portuguese royal family to office.

An intelligent and educated man who loved the arts and, in particular, architecture, Philip chose religion as one of the pillars of his reign. He endeavoured to assume control of the operations of the Church in his realms, earning him the animosity of Popes Pius V and Paul IV.

At the Convent of Christ, Philip was responsible for the commencement of the magnificent work of water engineering that is the Convent Aqueduct. The resulting supply of fresh drinking water made the Convent more independent.