Against the Spanish Armada

This iconic historical-circumstantial speech was delivered by Queen

Elizabeth I at Tilbury camp, Essex on 9th August 1588. It was addressed to
her troops summoned there. It was given to provide the troops with the
will and courage in anticipation of the attack from the dreaded Spanish
Armada, led by the King of Spain Felipe II. However, as the Queen gave the
speech to her “loving people” it may be considered that it was intended
for the entire nation as a message of unity against the enemy.

Elizabeth I, was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Ann
Boleyn. Her father, Henry VIII, had ruled as King from 1509 to 1547 and in
order to escape his first marriage, Henry set himself against the Pope and
so began the Reformation of the Church in England whereby it broke away
from Rome and the English monarch became its supreme head. He died at
the age 55 and his 9-year-old son Edward VI succeeded him as King but
died six years later. Consequently, the first daughter of Henry VIII, became
Queen of England. Like her mother, Catherine of Aragon, Queen Mary I
was a fervent Catholic and determined to force England back to
Catholicism.

Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England at the age of 25 in 1559, two

months after the death of Mary. There is no doubt that Elizabeth I was
England’s greatest queen. She came to the throne of a country deeply
divided, economically bankrupt and devastated by the persecutions and
oppression of her half-sister Mary Tudor (the infamous Bloody Mary
whose fanatical obsession to return England to Catholicism so
spectacularly backfired. Bloody Mary condemned hundreds of prominent
English Protestants to death by burning at the stake – including the
Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, the most famous Protestant
theologians and preachers Bishops and many others.

In foreign affairs, Elizabeth practiced a policy of strengthening England’s

Protestant allies and dividing her foes. She was opposed by the pope, who
refused to recognize her legitimacy, and by Spain, a Catholic nation that
was at the height of its power. In 1588, English-Spanish rivalry led to the
Spanish invasion. Another important fact was that Felipe II, also
considered Elizabeth as an illegitimate ruler of England and preferred the
Catholic Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth’s cousin. Elizabeth had
her executed in 1587 after a long captivity and this really angered Felipe…
To make matters worse, Elizabeth supported the Dutch Revolt against
Spain and Felipe deemed this action as an act of war.

The Spanish Armada set sail from Spain in July 1588, with the mission of
overthrowing the Protestant Queen. However, due to a miscalculation and
misfortune, a storm struck the English Channel and there was a tightly
fought battle against the English Navy. The English fleet defeated the
Armada, and were forced to retreat via the North Sea.

Although the Spanish fleet was severely damaged, the English army could
not discount the threat of further invasions along the coast. The Earl of
Leicester commanded a 4.000 soldiers to Tilbury, Essex where Elizabeth
went.

Without a doubt, she delivered an encouraging speech to her “loving

people”. She tried to compare herself to the people throughout the entire
speech, regardless of her being anointed by God and placed above them,
she still made ongoing comparisons, especially when she says “live and die
amongst you all”.

Elizabeth emphasized the respect she has for her subjects and particularly
her troops, using words like “faithful and loving people” and “the loyal
hearts and good-will of subjects”. She was there to inspire her public and
she really did it. She also diminished the image and prestige of the enemy,
calling them “tyrants”.

The most famous line of Elizabeth’s speech at Tilbury is “I know I have the
body of a weak and feeble women, but I have the heart and stomach of a
King, and of a King of England, too”, there was a precedent for female
monarchs who weren’t successful in England. She was the first really
successful female monarch. Her body may not be that of aking, but she
feel inside like one. At the end of the speech, she praised her lieutenant,
Robert Dudley, as a subject who couldn’t be “more noble or worthy”. The
speech has a very strong ending, with Elizabeth declaring that “we shall
shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my
Kingdom and of my people” she there implied a special connection and
separate the Church of England from the others.

To conclude, I think that this speech really defined Queen Elizabeth, she
was a determined and outstanding woman who’s priority was the welfare
of her country. She had an extraordinary capacity as a leader, being able
to captivate and boost her male audience. She also did a great job
demonstrating that a women could rule.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Spanish-Armada/

https://www.historyextra.com/period/elizabethan/7-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-
elizabeth-i/