Rallying the troops
Elizabeth's finest hour
Although the Spanish fleet had been dispersed after the Battle of Gravelines, there was no way of knowing if this was a temporary setback or a defeat. The fear of invasion was still very high, especially with the action taking place so close to England's shores. The ageing Robert Dudley was put in charge of the land army at Tilbury, on the Thames, to the east of London in Essex. He arranged for Elizabeth to visit Tilbury to announce his appointment and to rally the troops.
Elizabeth joined the defenders of her realm as they prepared for battle. Her address to them is considered one of the finest motivational speeches in history:
My loving people, I have been persuaded by some that are careful of my safety to take heed how I committed myself to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery. But I tell you that I would not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear: I have so behaved myself that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects. Wherefore I am come among you at this time but for my recreation and pleasure, but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people mine honour and my blood even in the dust.
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 - and think foul scorn that Parma or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm. To the which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will venter my royal blood; I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtue in the field. I know that already for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns, and I assure you in the word of a prince that you shall not fail of them. In the meantime, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject. Not doubting but by your concord in the camp and valour in the field and your obedience to myself and my general, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God of my kingdom, and of my people.
In deconstructing the speech, we can see the motivational and morale-boosting techniques Elizabeth employed, the types of empowerment she used, her masterful blending of rhetoric and the language of love, her use of powerful contrasts to distinguish between the 'good guy' and the 'bad guy', her playing off feminine and masculine qualities to tackle the issue of her gender, and the solidifying of her identity as the embodiment of the nation.
In the opening lines she tells how she had been discouraged from appearing among a throng of armed soldiers, particularly in light of the numerous threats to her life, but asserts her belief in the love and loyalty of her people. A display of courage and an effective distinction between Elizabeth and Philip has already been made: it is not she who needs to fear treachery from her own subjects but the tyrant, Philip. She then goes on to make a full and final commitment to the soldiers, and thus the nation, to share their fate, 'to live and die amongst you all'.
This is followed by righteous indignation, outrage and a call to arms. Elizabeth may be a woman and England a small nation facing the might of the world's superpower but they will not be cowed. She will not shy away from her responsibilities and will personally command the situation. As a woman she could not actually lead her forces into battle, so she introduces Dudley as her deputy and endorses and empowers him and them with a vote of confidence that they will follow him and all do well. She motivates the troops by letting them know that she thinks that they have already done a good job and that she will personally see to it that they are rewarded for their service. Finally, she confirms her belief in them; that through their continued excellence and commitment, England will not be defeated but will triumph.
Elizabeth's performance at Tilbury displayed her command of spectacle, mastery of the spoken word and her awareness of the importance of being seen on the front line to communicate her vision and commitment. Her speech played into the Arthurian chivalric fantasy of soldiers as knights going out to fight for their lady and called on the patriotism of the soldiers to do their best for God, Queen and country, which had all come together in the person of Elizabeth. She also let them know that they were in this together; that while she was the leader of the nation, she was not above it, but a part of it, and would share its fate. This identification with and commitment to her people was one of Elizabeth's greatest assets and is a recurring theme throughout her reign. From the very beginning she had promised to govern by 'good advice and counsel' and continually sought to reassure and be loved by her subjects.
Celebrating success
Victory followed shortly afterwards. The defeat of the mighty Spanish Armada brought fame, both for England and Elizabeth. Europe was stunned that the small island nation had been able to defend itself successfully against the attempted take-over by its giant competitor. While the war with Spain would continue until 1604 and there were further Armadas, the outcome was no longer taken for granted and foreign diplomats began to court England as a possible ally. Elizabeth's popularity soared and she became a legend throughout Europe. The impact of the victory on the nation's self-confidence cannot be overestimated.
The victory was celebrated in all manners of ways; songs were written, medals struck, portraits painted and prints published. All lauded Elizabeth as a saviour who stood firm to protect her nation, shared the glory of the success with the English navy and gave thanks for divine intervention, 'God breathed and they were scattered'.
The most famous visual expression of the event is 'The Armada portrait' of Elizabeth I', of about 1588, of which there are several versions, each showing Elizabeth flanked by scenes of the two defining acts which thwarted the invasion. On the left the English fleet is watching the attack of their fireships and on the right the Armada is being wrecked in a storm on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. In the centre is Elizabeth in all her glory, with her hand hovering over America on a globe. Elizabeth is portrayed as not only the living embodiment of the nation's triumph but also of its imperial ambition.
Elizabeth's successful identification of herself with her island nation, standing forth with resolve against a powerful aggressor, has led this 'Elizabeth' to be called forth in other times of national crisis in British history, such as during the Napoleonic wars and the Blitz. The victory over Spain was not just Elizabeth's finest hour but also a defining moment in English history, marking the threshold on which the small island nation with negligible power then stood, on its way to becoming a major player on the world stage.