Patrick Williams is professor emeritus at the University of Portsmouth, where he taught Spanish History from 1974 to 2008. He is one of the leading pioneers in studying the reign of Philip III and a specialist in the history of the Spanish government. He has published many works on these fields, including Armada (2000), Philip II. European History in Perspective (2001) and The Great Favourite. The Duke of Lerma and the Court and Government of Philip III (2006; Spanish ed. 2010).