Elizabeth I and Spain

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

● Relations between England and Spain

● The end of the England-Spain friendly exchange
● English aggressions and the Spanish Armada
● Aftermath of the English victory

Let’s know more about

FACT FILE Elizabeth I and Spain!

Relations between England

and Spain had not always been
disastrous: it exacerbated
when Philip II started imposing
heavy taxes on the
Netherlands. Initially, Elizabeth
I observed this conflict from
the sides until she decided to
protect Philip II’s opponents,
the Netherlands, and
destroyed Spain’s northwest
coastal region of Galicia. Armada portrait of Elizabeth I

Philip II made it his objective to conquer England and restore it to

Catholicism: he organised a huge Armada composed of 130 ships and
30,000 men from Iberia and 30,000 more from the Netherlands.
However, Philip II’s Spanish Armada was dramatically defeated by the
English fleet.
 Relations between England and Spain

Queen Mary I, Elizabeth I’s half-sister, was married to Philip of Spain from
1554-1558, which meant that relations between the two countries were
good.

● Philip became the king consort of

England and he shared the same religion
as Mary I: they were both devout
Catholic.
● The birth of their heir would have
solidified the restoration of Catholicism
in England.
● When Mary I died, Elizabeth succeeded
to the throne of England.
● Not everyone was in favour of her
ascension since she was raised a
Protestant and was the daughter of
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, whose
marriage many had not supported.
Philip II and Mary I

● Many believed that the true heiress to the throne was Mary, Queen
of Scots, who was another direct descendant of the Tudor family
(her grandmother was Henry VIII’s sister). Moreover, she was
Catholic and had been brought up in France.
● Between the two, Philip of Spain
preferred Elizabeth as the Queen of
England, since Mary, Queen of
Scots, would have been more in
favour of France than Spain.
● The two monarchs, Philip and
Elizabeth, were very similar: the two
both dressed simply and enjoyed
the same outdoor activities like
hunting, hawking and riding.
● It wasn’t long before Philip asked
Elizabeth to marry him, in order to
consolidate their countries’
strengths.
Elizabeth I in her coronation robes
 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 11-14

REJECTED PROPOSAL. Elizabeth I rejected all the marriage

1 proposals to her including Philip II’s. Use your knowledge of the
resource and make a substantial discussion on why Elizabeth I
rejected Philip II’s offer. (X marks)

Elizabeth I rejected Philip II

 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 14-16

SPECULATION. Elizabeth I rejected the marriage proposal of Philip

1 II. Based on historical facts, write your speculation about the role
of this refusal in the England-Spain relations. (X marks)