Portrait of Philippe de Croy, Duke of Aerschot

Heir of an illustrious Flemish family and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Philippe de Croy held the position of governor of Antwerp and governor-general of Flanders. As such, he repeatedly served the interests of the Habsburg emperor Charles V and King Philip II in the Spanish imperial armor. He is represented in this vellum miniature wearing the ceremonial parade armor befitting a great general. His blued, etched, and gilded armor is probably of Augsburg make, a center many of the Habsburgs favored for its production of deluxe armor.