Did Walter Ralegh fight against the Spanish Armada?
Walter Ralegh was interested in seamanship and navigation. With his new wealth he built a warship which he named the Ark Ralegh. He later gave this to the Queen who changed the name to the Ark Royal. This ship later became the flagship of the English fleet which fought against the Spanish Armada under the command of Lord Howard of Effingham. Although Walter Ralegh did not command a ship, he was a naval adviser to the Queen and helped Sir John Hawkins to implement improvements to the design of ships, an important factor in the success of the English fleet against the Spanish. So who was that fearless pirate who inspired Elizabeth: The Golden Age’s director Shakhar Kapur and who was instrumental in the film as defeating the Spanish Armada? His name was Sir Francis Drake, an infamous pirate and slave-trader whom the Spanish called “El Draque” (the Dragon). Sir Francis Drake, born (1542-1596), was a contemporary of Sir Walter Raleigh and also one of Queen Elizabeth I’s most notorious pirat
