The Spanish Empire generally means Spain's overseas colonies in the Americas, the Pacific, and elsewhere. But it is not clear what is exactly part of the Spanish Empire. For instance, traditionally, territiories such as the Low Countries were included as they were part of the possessions of the King of Spain, governed by Spanish officials, and defended by Spanish troops. But the British historian Henry Kamen writes that these territories were never part of a "Spanish" state and instead formed part of the wider Habsburg estate. Therefore many historians use both "Habsburg" and "Spanish" when they speak of the empire of Charles V or Philip II. Only from an "Anglosaxon" point of view can these observations be accurate since, with all effect, the Low Countries were part of Spain during that period.