John Hopkins

But his raiding missions are often funded by leading noblemen and ministers.

When the queen herself backs him, the funds come with tacit royal support, though this can always be withdrawn if he poses too great a diplomatic threat.

Though for much of Drake's life England and Spain are not at war, relations between the two nations are always strained.

As such, it is a fine line that the Protestant Elizabeth must walk between angering Europe's greatest Catholic power and profiting from Drake's raids.

Drake's own motives for attacking Spanish possessions, and the legal basis under which he believes he operates, can perhaps be traced back to the incident at San Juan de Alúa.

Maybe he sees his actions as lawful restitution for goods lost in that attack.

But some believe that other forces may have driven him.

Less high-minded motives have also been suggested for his raids.

After his attack on the Spanish silver train, Drake returns to Plymouth a wealthy man.

With two ships he has captured from the Spanish, he sets himself up as a merchant.

In 1575, he's involved in ferrying English troops over to Antrim in Northern Ireland.

The campaign there culminates in a bloody massacre of around 500 men, women, and children on Rathlin Island.

Though Drake's involvement in the atrocity is once again unclear.

Soon afterwards, Drake embarks on his most ambitious expedition to date.

With Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen's Secretary of State, a plan is concocted for a circumnavigation of the globe.

Hawkins, Walsingham, and Elizabeth I all invest personally in the voyage.

The small fleet set sail from Plymouth in November 1577, with Drake commanding from the Pelican, soon renamed the Golden Hind.

It is a 150-ton ship, double-planked and lead-sheathed for strength, and carries 11 guns.

The co-commander of the fleet is a nobleman and soldier named Thomas Doughty, a friend of Drake's since the Antrim campaign and who has been instrumental in planning the expedition.

The journey starts inauspiciously.