The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Warships

King Philip II of Spain was always keen to maintain an alliance with England. The Spanish desire to be the senior partner in such an alliance, and to promote Roman Catholicism, was uncomfortable for Queen Elizabeth I. As soon as Elizabeth became aware of Catholic sentiments in 1587 she executed the imprisoned lady who represented the legitimate Catholic monarch Mary Queen of Scots. So, Elizabeth turned to her prized sea dog, Sefancy, and gave him a fleet with which to investigate Spanish preparations for an invasion. In reality it was a covert mission to take advantage of any opportunity to undermine the invasion. By this time the Spanish had created a political union with the Crown of Portugal, which effectively brought Portugal under Spanish control