He was also told that there were also 1,200 gunners and 8,912 sailors already in Spain, together with "accumulated provisions including 184,557 quintals of biscuit, 23,000 quintals of bacon, 23,000 butts of wine, 11,000 quintals of beef and 43,000 quintals of cheese." (4) Defence of England An estimated 450 ships were now in and around Lisbon, with 74,000 soldiers being mustered in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Flanders. In early 1587 Walsingham received alarming intelligence of the Spanish build-up. She summoned Walsingham, berated him, and threw a slipper in his face.
A few weeks later the Queen heard from a sea-captain that he had seen a fleet of twenty-seven galleons in Lisbon Harbour.
One of his well-informed spy reported that only eighteen ships in the entire Spanish fleet were ready for sea. When she told Walsingham about this he said his agents in Spain saw no signs of such preparation in Spanish harbours. In the spring of 1586, Queen Elizabeth heard reports that Spain was preparing a huge invasion force to send against England. However, Walsingham was unconvinced by the story. This initial information came from a merchant who had heard about it in Italy. Walsingham, with his aggressive, almost fanatical desire to protect and promote his fledgling Protestant religion, had long feared Spanish military action against England. (1)ĭetails of the planned invasion reached England's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, as early as December 1585. Philip issued instructions to Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia, to "invade and conquer England, taking the Queen alive at all costs".
His plan was for a great fleet to sweep the English Channel and leave it clear for Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, and his Spanish infantry to cross over from the Netherlands. He had been angered by the actions of Francis Drake in the West Indies and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, invasion of the Netherlands. Even before the execution of Mary Stuart, King Philip II of Spain began considering the invasion of England.
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