Queen Mary Tudor married Philip II of Spain

When married to Queen Mary Tudor (1516–1558), Philip II of Spain spent money on ship building in England, improving the English fleet.

Spanish invaded the Netherlands

The Spanish invaded the Netherlands to quell Protestant rebels.

Philip II of Spain planned to attack

Philip II of Spain formed the intention to invade. His project was called ‘the Enterprise of England’.

Philip II prepared invasion

Philip II prepared his land invasion force and the ships of the Armada.

Sir Francis Drake attacked Cadiz

Drake’s attack on Cadiz; 35 Spanish ships lost or damaged.

Commander of the Armada died

Philip II’s Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Don Alvaro de Bazan, Marquis of Santa Cruz (1626-1588) died suddenly. Don Alonso Perez de Guzman, Duke of Medina Sidonia (1550-1619) was to take his place as leader of the Armada.

English prepare for Spanish attack

Believing that the Spanish would make an attack on London, Elizabeth I and her council had the Earl of Essex make camp under the Earl of Leicester’s leadership, to protect the city. English navy captains awaited the Spanish attack at Plymouth and Dover, backed-up by trained bands of militia along the south coast.

Armada resumed its journey

Setting sail from Corunna, the Armada resumed its journey to attack England, passing through poor weather on the way.

‘The English Fleet Pursuing the Spanish Fleet against Fowey’

by Richard Burchett, oil and gold leaf on canvas, about 186;

‘Drake takes De Valdez’s Galleon: The Lord Admiral Pursues the Enemy’

by Anthony Oakshett, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 2010

‘Some English Ships attack the Spanish Fleet to the Westward. The Spaniards draw themselves into a Roundel: And afterwards keeping on their Course, are followed by the English’

by John Pine, engraving, 1739

'The Spanish Fleet is seen sailing up the Channel, intending to stop at Dunkirk or Calais, where they were to be join'd by the Duke of Parma: The English follow them close'

Engraving by John Pine, 1739

English pursued Spanish attackers

The English pursued the Spanish as they sailed up the North Sea to the Firth of Forth.

Elizabeth addressed the army

Elizabeth is recorded as giving a rousing speech to the army, saying:

‘I know I have the Body but of a weak and feeble Woman, but I have the Heart and Stomach of a King, and of a King of England too.’ (quoted by John Pine, 1739)

Battle depicted in sea charts

Cartographer Robert Adams (died 1595) drew sea charts depicting the battle for Lord Howard of Effingham.

Tapestries commissioned

Lord Howard of Effingham commissioned the ten Armada Tapestries from a Dutchman, Francis Spierincx (1549/51–1630). Spierincx employed his countryman Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom (1566–1640), a naval artist, to design the tapestries.

Queen Elizabeth viewed the tapestries

‘Queen Elizabeth I, the Twisden Portrait’

King Charles I is reputed to have given the ‘Armada’ portrait of Elizabeth I to Judge Twisden.

Tapestries hung in the House of Lords

The first appearance of the tapestries as hangings in the House of Lords. According to the House of Lords Journal at the time

‘the Lieutenant of The Tower of London is hereby Ordered to deliver to the Officers of the King’s Standing Wardrobe, the Suite of Hangings of the Story of eighty-Eight to hang up in the Lords House of Parliament.’

Act of Union with Scotland

The Engraving and Copyright Act was passed.

Lord Chesterfield objected to a Spanish treaty

In a debate in 1739 Lord Chesterfield objected to a treaty with Spain, declaring,

‘these walls, my Lords, ought to put us in mind of the methods by which our Ancestors preserved the Trade, and vindicated the Honour of the Nation’.

Tapetries used to satirize French attack threat

James Gillray’s (1757-1815) caricature ‘Consequences of a successful French invasion’ showed how important the Armada tapestries had become as national symbols. The threat of a French attack on Britain was satirized in a scene showing the tapestries being destroyed.

'House of Lords (showing the Court of Requests)'

Following the enlargement of the peerage after the union with Ireland, the House of Lords moved from the Parliament Chamber to the more spacious Court of Requests. Eight tapestries were hung, one of which was behind the throne.

‘The King Proroguing Parliament, April, 1831’

The tapestries appear as a backdrop to King William IV’s prorogation of Parliament at the end of a session.

‘Interior of the House of Lords’

by John Shury, lithograph, undated

Charles Barry won the competition to design the new Palace of Westminster, against 96 other entries.

Prince’s Chamber theme chosen

Tudor history was chosen for the Prince’s Chamber. The scheme was to include a series of six paintings illustrating the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

The new House of Lords Chamber opened.

One painting completed

One painting from the series, 'The English fleet pursuing the Spanish fleet against Fowey', was completed by Richard Burchett, but never hung in the Prince’s Chamber.

A Select Committee Report noted the importance of completing the Armada paintings for the Prince's Chamber.

The First World War led to the plans for the Armada Paintings being suspended.

Proposal to complete the Armada paintings discussed

Following a generous donation to the House of Lords by Mark Pigott, KBE, a proposal to complete the series of Armada paintings was discussed.

The House of Lords Works of Art Committee agreed that the funds should be used to commission the remaining five Armada paintings for the Prince's Chamber and selected Anthony Oakshett as the lead artist.

Her Majesty The Queen gave her permission to hang the Armada paintings in the Prince's Chamber at the Palace of Westminster.

Canvases were filled with the base colours.

Decorative detail was added to the gilded borders.

Details such as the crests of waves, rigging and anchors were added

The final task was populating the ships' decks with hundreds of sailors.