Symbolised by the 'double-headed eagle' looking East and West, the Habsburg dynasty constituted a universal power structure in the early modern era. The dynasty's Spanish and Austrian branches created a code of shared identity, one which also encompassed their religious piety and their ability to pitch the Austriacum Imperium against multiple enemies worldwide. The present volume investigates the construction of the dynasty's political image in two spheres, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Spanish monarchy, between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Fifteen Hungarian, Czech and Spanish specialists offer comparative perspectives on the Habsburg era during this convulsive period of European history, addressing topics including diplomatic links, dynastic ritual and representation, and the Order of the Golden Fleece. In covering a wide range of themes, their contributions aim towards a better understanding of the emergence of new political attitudes in the Western world prior to the Enlightenment.Contributors to the volume include Cristina Bravo Lozano, Vaclav Buzek, Nora G. Etenyi, Alfredo Floristan Imizcoz, Ruben Gonzalez Cuerva, Borbala Gulyas, Fanni Hende, Janos Kalmar, Zsolt Kokenyesi, Zoltan Korpas, Pavel Marek, Tibor Monostori, and Geza Palffy.