By 1587, the threat of a Spanish invasion of England was becoming very real.
Relations between Elizabeth I and Philip II of Spain had been deteriorating for years. England was supporting the Dutch rebels fighting Spanish rule in the Low Countries, while English privateers had repeatedly attacked Spanish shipping and possessions abroad.
Philip was also preparing for something much bigger.
His plan depended on sending a great fleet through the English Channel and reaching the Low Countries, where the Duke of Parma had an experienced army waiting. The Armada would need to help secure the crossing so that Parma’s troops could be transported to England.
Preparations were already under way before Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in February 1587. Her death added another source of anger, but the conflict between England and Spain had been building long before it.
Elizabeth’s government knew that danger was coming.
England had been strengthening its navy during the 1580s, with new warships being constructed and existing ships prepared for fighting. Along the coast, an old warning system was also readied.
Beacons stood on high ground where one could be seen from another. If an enemy fleet appeared, fires could be lit and the warning carried from beacon to beacon and into surrounding areas.
In April 1587, Francis Drake sailed into Cádiz, one of Spain’s most important ports.
There he attacked shipping and destroyed or captured vessels and supplies being prepared for Philip’s expedition.
The attack became famously known as the “singeing of the King of Spain’s beard”.
It caused serious disruption and delayed Spanish preparations, but Philip did not abandon the invasion.
Through 1587 and into 1588, ships, sailors, soldiers, weapons and provisions continued to be gathered.
Across the Channel, England prepared for what might happen if the fleet finally appeared.
The navy would have to confront it at sea, but there was another frightening possibility.
What if Parma’s army actually managed to cross and land in England?
By the spring of 1588, this was no longer simply a distant threat discussed by Elizabeth and her councillors.
Along England’s southern coast, defensive preparations continued and the warning beacons stood ready.
Beyond the horizon, the Spanish Armada was preparing to sail.
Next, we’ll follow the Armada as it finally leaves Spain - and discover why its carefully planned invasion began encountering problems almost immediately.
Image: The Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, c.1588, artist unknown. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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