ngland, but in name only, for he held little influence and popularity amongst the English people. This ill-feeling was not helped by Spain involving England in the war against France.Mary I died in 1558 from stomach cancer and her half-sister, Elizabeth, succeeded her to the throne. Even though Elizabeth was believed to be a Protestant, Philip was eager to offer his support and keep relations good between the nations. This was mainly due to his desire to keep Mary, Queen of Scots away from the English crown, who he feared held strong allegiances with the French.Relations began to slowly deteriorate through the 1560s as the English were responsible for many pirate raids capturing Spanish treasure in the Indies. The most notable exploit was that of Francis Drake’s expedition in the years 1576-81. Elizabeth had given her unofficial support to Drake and this heightened the already existing anxiety.The most obvious trigger point for the future conflicts is the invasion of Alba’s army into the Netherlands in 1567. This caused great tension in England, where Elizabeth was fearful of Spanish troops so close to her borders. England also had close links with the growing number of heretics in the Netherlands. In 1568, Elizabeth took the step of confiscating several Spanish ships who had moored in English ports following a storm at sea. The ships were carrying resources destined to supply the Spanish war effort in the Netherlands. On top of this, in the early 1570s Elizabeth began to offer financial support to the Dutch rebels and paid for mercenaries to be sent there to protect the Protestant cause.An official war between Spain and England was confirmed in 1585 when Philip seized English ships in Spanish ports for retaliation for their piracies in the Indies. Elizabeth began to fear a Spanish victory in the Netherlands, which would inevitably lead to an invasion of England itself. She signed a treaty with the rebels and sen...
