Philip the Handsome (22 June/July 1478 – 25 September 1506), also called Philip the Fair, was ruler of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482 and heir apparent of his father the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I, whom he pre-deceased. Philip also ruled over the counties of Artois, Burgundy and Charolais from 1493 and was, briefly in 1506, the first King of Castile from the House of Habsburg (as Philip I).
Philip was the son of Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. Maximilian was a prince of the House of Habsburg who would become Holy Roman Emperor. Mary was the daughter of Charles the Bold and heiress of the wealthy and extensive complex of domains that made up Valois Burgundy, including the Burgundian Netherlands. In 1482, at the age of three, Philip's mother died and he inherited her titles and domains. As a result, he became the first Habsburg ruler of the Netherlands. Although his inheritance was, in part, challenged by the French king Louis XI, it was largely confirmed by the Treaty of Arras (1482) and the Treaty of Senlis (1493). Despite his young age, Philip quickly proved himself an effective ruler beloved by his people in the Low Countries, pursuing policies that favored peace and economic development, while maintaining a steady course of the government building.
