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Philip of Habsburg, son of Emperor Charles V, is recognized as King of the Romans, thus maintaining his aspirations to claim the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.
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January 16: In the abdications of Brussels Carlos I King of Spain and V Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, abdicates his two thrones in favor of his son Felipe January 19: Felipe is crowned as Felipe II of Spain. That year he also raises the idea to his wife Mary I of England to annex England to his vast empire, but she rejects it for the time being as she still has to deal with the Protestant reformation of her father King Henry VIII. -
Henry II of France, seeing himself surrounded by the Habsburg domains, decided to support the Flemish rebels, exploding the Italian wars between France and the Holy Roman German-Hispanic Empire. Philip I of Habsburg declared the cessation of payment of several debts since he inherited a large debt from his father, Emperor Charles V; for what was the first bankruptcy declaration in history.
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Felipe de Habsburgo is elected as emperor and crowned two days later in Frankfurt,known as Felipe I; his first policy was to annex Spain and its American dominions to the empire,becoming known as the Holy Roman Empire Germano-Hispanic. In this way he centralized his government,making the administration more effective by creating two capitals:Madrid, which would be in charge of Spain, the Netherlands and its American colonies,and Vienna,which would be in charge of the Germanic nations .
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January 15: Elizabeth of Tudor is crowned Elizabeth I of England. February 27: Queen Elizabeth I of England re-establishes the Church of England
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May 28: Margarita de Parma, sister of Emperor Felipe I, is appointed as Governor of the Netherlands, generating great disagreement with the local nobles since Emperor Carlos I, father of Emperor Felipe I, maintained a tolerant policy with the Netherlands and did not appointed no foreign governor.
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June 22: Marriage by proxy between Felipe de Habsburgo and Isabel de Vaolis, daughter of the king of France Enrique II. September 21: Francis II is crowned King of France on the death of his father Henry II.
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April 2: signing of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, King Henry II France recognizes German-Hispanic supremacy and Emperor Philip I obtains preeminence in the Italian peninsula; having as a new ally Manuel Filiberto de Saboya who was appointed governor of the Spanish Netherlands
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March 16: the Conspiracy of Amboise, which attempted against King Francis II, is suffocated, so Godefroy de Barry, Lord of La Renaudie is executed at the hands of Francis of Guise.
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July 6: Treaty of Edinburgh is signed, ending French support for Scotland and forcing them to leave Scotland. August 16: in Vienna Carlos de Habsburgo is proclaimed as Prince of Asturias as heir to the Kingdom of Spain and as King of the Romans as heir to the Holy Roman Empire.
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May 6: Since Emperor Philip I of a deeply Catholic faith was against the Peace of Augsburg that offered apparent freedom of worship, the Emperor rejects it and begins a strong repression against Protestants by installing the Holy Spanish Inquisition in Brandenburg , Saxony and Bavaria, with a Protestant majority. Which generates that the prince-electors convene the Diet of Hamburg.
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October 22: By imperial edict the Spanish Inquisition is installed in the Netherlands. December 5: King Francis II dies, so his brother Charles IX is proclaimed king with regency for his mother Catherine de Medici.
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January 31: Catherine de Medici, as regent, sends the Edict of Orleans in which the persecution of Huguenots in France is prohibited, which calms down the Protestants a bit.
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June 15: Creation of a council of war based in Frankfurt, by edict of Felipe I, at the head he put Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, Duke of Alba and Maximilian of Habsburg, in order to make clear decisions in front to the various wars around the empire and in Europe.
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February 27: The Diet of Hamburg requested the abdication of Felipe I, since his religious persecutions had made him unpopular among the prince-electors, so to mediate with the Diet and the prince-electors he appointed as Governor of the Germanic lands his uncle Ferdinand of Habsburg, who was a more political and conciliatory man.
