CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
Spain and Europe 1556–98
Philip II's kingship and working methods
- 3 things to know
- AS Unit 2
Overview
Escorial and what purposes did it serve, how Philip II's marriages served his policy and black Legend.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What did Philip II do in 1561 that shaped the government of Spain?
Why did the fate of Don Carlos damage Philip II's reputation?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How did Philip II understand his authority as king?
Model answer
Philip II believed his authority came directly from God and that he was answerable to God alone for the souls and the government of his subjects.
- 2
Why was Philip II known as el Prudente?
Model answer
Philip II earned the name el Prudente, the Prudent, because of his caution, his refusal to be hurried and his habit of weighing every decision at length.
- 3
What was a consulta?
Model answer
A consulta was the written recommendation a council sent up to the king, on which Philip II wrote his decision in the margin before returning it.
- 4
Why was Philip II mocked as a king of paper?
Model answer
Philip II governed from his desk, reading and annotating thousands of documents a year rather than travelling to his territories or leading armies in person.
- 5
Give two drawbacks of Philip II's insistence on deciding everything himself.
Model answer
Decisions were delayed for months while papers travelled, and important business was buried under trivial detail because the king would not delegate.
- 6
Why did Philip II refuse to appoint a single chief minister?
Model answer
Philip II distrusted any servant who might monopolise power, so he balanced rival secretaries and councils and kept the final decision in his own hands.
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