[1] The painting presents plenty of symbols of royal majesty, such as the column, the table covered with a velvet mantle and, above all, the superb armour of Prince Philip, the future king of Spain.

In May 1551, Philip sent a replica or second copy of the portrait to his aunt Mary of Hungary, which is no longer extant.

According to a letter from Philip himself, he was not entirely satisfied with the portrait: while he liked the image of majesty projected, he was not fully convinced by the depiction of his face, considering that it had been painted too quickly.

This shows that Philip was not yet familiar with the Venetian style of painting practised by Titian.

[2] Since 1600, the portrait appears in the inventories made in the Royal Alcázar of Madrid, where it was copied by Peter Paul Rubens, in 1628.