[ News
| Homes
| Life
| Entertainment
| History
| Science
| Community
| Shop ]
| Sport
| Culture
| Cars
| Money
| Broadband
| Learning
| Health
| Dating
| Games ]
[ Text Only: Homepage ]
[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
Elizabeth I thought of herself as a bulwark against her Catholic enemies. But England was a relatively poor state and open to invasion. Elizabeth's solution was to support privateers – licensed pirates – such as Sir Francis Drake, who picked off Spanish treasure ships and contributed part of their booty to the public purse.
This sniping at the big boys of Europe gave England a reputation as a rogue state, and infuriated Philip of Spain. Invasion became reality and the Armada set sail. Who did Elizabeth turn to then? Her pirates …
Home
Access
advice
For web users with disabilities.
Graphic version
Includes layout and images.