Felipe da Silva was the son of
Dona Filipa da Silva (1550–1590), 4th
Countess of Portalegre and of Don
Juan de Silva (1528-1601),
Spanish ambassador to the court of King
Sebastian and Count of Salinas. His brother was D.
Manrique da Silva, 1st
Marquis of Gouveia,
mordomo-mor of King
John IV of Portugal and member of his privy council. In 1630, da Silva was part of the War Council of Flanders, along with the Marquis of Mirabel and the
Marquis of Cerralvo, Manuel Pimentel de Requesens
Count of Feira, Claude de Rye, Baron of
Valançon and
Anthonie Schetz, Baron of
Grobbendonk. In 1638, as Governor of Antwerp, he was faced by a Dutch attack, which was repelled in the
Battle of Kallo. After the Portuguese revolution of 1 December 1640, he was held in custody at
Burgos, being freed in 1643 after which he was ordered to proceed to
Madrid where he was promoted to commander of the Spanish forces in
Catalonia, and made
Viceroy of Catalonia on 10 March 1643. He led the conquest of
Monzon (Montsó) in 1643 and of
Lérida (Lleida) in 1644. He died in that same year or in 1645, without issue. ==References==