Queen Elizabeth I of England
Queen Elizabeth was born on September 7, 1533 to King Henri VIII and Anne Boleyn in England. Although she is one of the most recognizable monarchs in history, Elizabeth's ascension to the throne of England was complicated to say the least. After battling opposition from all sides of Parliament, she gained the trust and love of her people and reigned for 40 years until her death in 1603. Her time as the queen is often referred to as the "golden age" of England.
King Philip II of Spain
King Phillip was born on May 21, 1527 in Valladolid Spain. During his reign as the king of Spain, he married Elizabeth's half sister Mary, who was queen of England at that time. After Mary's death, Phillip, who was a devout Catholic, wanted to "liberate" England from Mary's protestant half sister Elizabeth. This gave way to the Anglo-Spanish war in the late 1580's. Phillip died on September 13, 1598 in Madrid, Spain and is nicknamed the "prudent king."
Lord Howard of Effingham
Born Charles Howard in 1536, Lord Howard of Effingham was a courier of England and an ambassador to France in the 16th Century. Like his father before him, Charles was appointed to Lord Admiral of England despite his limited knowledge of seafaring. He was the commander of the English defense towards the Spanish armada in 1588 and later lead the attack on the Spanish port of Cadiz, which was very successful. Charles Howard died on the 14th of December in 1624.
Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake was born in Devonshire, England around 1540-44. In the early years he was a privateer who was involved in illicit slave trading and pirating. When Francis returned victoriously from an expedition in South America, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. He later was appointed vice admiral of the English Navy under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham. Sir Francis Drake was very influential in England's defeat of the Spanish and later died on January 28, 1596.
Duke of Medina Sidonia
Born Alonso Pérez de Guzmán in 1550, the Duke of Medina Sidonia was a Spanish nobleman and the commander in chief of the Spanish Armada in 1588. He was openly opposed to his role as the commander of the armada and didn't want to go to war with England. Because of his inexperience as a seafarer, Pérez ultimately failed and the Spanish Armada was defeated.