If you were a soldier listening to this speech, how would you feel? What does this speech tell us about Elizabeth? She made a famous speech to her troops to give them courage (see panel, right).Įlizabeth makes two promises in this speech. Queen Elizabeth I sailed down the river Thames to inspect her troops at Tilbury.

In England, people were still afraid the Armada would return to conquer their country. The English had won the battle, but had not defeated the Armada. The Spanish were driven into the North Sea. The English were driving the Spanish ships into the Dutch shallow waters, but both sides were low on ammunition and a storm meant both sides had to abandon the battle. The next day, August 8 1588, the great battle of Gravelines was fought. The Spanish ships fled in panic out into the English Channel. However, the English decided to send fire-ships (old boats filled with straw and wood, which they set fire to) among the Spanish fleet at Calais. If these two forces had joined and crossed to England, the English would surely have been defeated. The Spanish fleet eventually anchored off Calais on the night of August 7, ready to pick up the Spanish army, led by the Duke of Parma, which was camped near Calais. For the next few days, as the Armada sailed up the English Channel, there were several sea battles, which neither side won.

England naval battle spanish armada