Singeing the King of Spain’s Beard – April 1587

On the 19th April 1587 Sir Francis Drake entered the harbour of Cadiz on the Spanish coast and led a pre-emptive strike on the Spanish fleet, destroying a number of ships (20-30) and their supplies, and causing the planned Spanish attack on England to be postponed for over a year. Drake referred to this successful attack as “Singeing the King of Spain’s beard”.

You can find out more about Sir Francis Drake in my Sir Francis Drake article and you can read more about The Spanish Armada in the following articles:-

• The Spanish Armada 1: The Assembling of the Troops at Tilbury
• The Spanish Armada 2: Leicester Invites Elizabeth to Tilbury
• The Spanish Armada 3: The Hell-burners
• The Spanish Armada 4: The Battle of Gravelines
• The Spanish Armada 5: The Protestant Wind
• The Spanish Armada 6: The Spanish Fleet Homeward Bound
• The Spanish Armada 7: Elizabeth I Visits Tilbury
• The Spanish Armada 8: Elizabeth’s Tilbury Speech
• The Spanish Armada 9: God Blew and They Were Scattered

Related posts:

Sir Francis Drake Sets Sails from Plymouth for Spain – 2 April 1587 Sir Francis Drake The Spanish Armada 4: The Battle of Gravelines The Spanish Armada 1: The Assembling of Troops at Tilbury Fort The Spanish Armada 7 – Elizabeth I Visits Tilbury The Spanish Armada 5 – The Protestant Wind The Spanish Armada 3: The Hell-burners Spanish Armada 9 – God Blew and They Were Scattered Sir Francis Drake Sets Off on his Circumnavigation – 13 December 1577 The Spanish Armada 2 – Leicester Invites Elizabeth to Tilbury The Spanish Armada 6 – The Spanish Fleet Homeward Bound The Spanish Armada 8 – Elizabeth’s Tilbury Speech