Sir Francis Drake
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Who was Sir Francis Drake and why is he significant?
It is a bright spring day in April 1581, at the Royal Docks at Deptford, on the banks of the River Thames, just outside London. Monsieur de Marchemont, the French ambassador to the English court, alights from a carriage, richly dressed in a blue velvet doublet. Shading his eyes, he takes in the enormous crowd that has gathered at the docks. Not for him, but for the occupant of the vehicle ahead. The door of the lead carriage now opens, and, to an almighty cheer, Elizabeth, Queen of England, emerges into the spring sunshine. The light catches on the innumerable jewels stitched onto her scarlet gown, turning her distinctive red hair into a fiery halo, and she raises a gracious hand in acknowledgement of her subjects.
Then she beckons to Marchmont. Hurrying to her side, he escorts her through the crowd, with her pale hand tucked into the crook of his elbow. They head towards a sailing ship, sitting in the dry dock and draped with royal banners in shades of red, blue and gold. It is the Golden Hind, freshly returned from a perilous three-year circumnavigation of the globe. Marchmont guides Elizabeth along the wooden boards that have been laid over the stinking mud of the riverbank, to where a gangplank leads up to the ship itself. A stately train of courtiers follow, and behind them the raucous mass of onlookers, eagerly pushing aboard the famous vessel. Once Marchmont and Elizabeth are safely on the ship's deck, an ear-splitting crack sounds from behind them.
The ambassador whirls round, just in time to witness the gangplank splintering. Dozens tumble onto the muddy riverbank below. He starts forward in concern, but those on the ground are already laughing and picking themselves up. It seems no one has been harmed, beyond perhaps some wounded pride and grubby clothes. Relieved, he returns to the queen and accompanies her across the deck to a carved wooden throne. There, a stout, strong-looking man with a pointed, reddish-blonde beard is already sweeping into a deep bow. Marchmont has met him recently at court, the Golden Hines' captain, Francis Drake.
What events shaped Francis Drake's early life and career?
Elizabeth takes a seat, and the French ambassador stands beside her throne just as the herald blows a fanfare on a trumpet. The chattering crowd fall silent, and in a clear voice, the queen bids Drake kneel, before taking hold of a sword offered by one of her guards. Smiling, she jokes about whether she should knight him or behead him, to appease the Spanish king whose ships he insists on raiding. Drake throws his head back, guffawing loudly. When the mirth has subsided, Elizabeth turns to offer Marshmallow the sword. With a hint of challenge in her tone, she asks him to dub her new knight. The ambassador knows that doing as she asks will bind England and France tighter together against Spain. But he cannot publicly refuse.
So he bows and takes the blade, before stepping forward and gravely touching it to Drake's shoulders in turn. The newly knighted captain remains where he is until his queen speaks the illustrious words, Arise, Sir Francis Drake. A colossal cheer rings out as Drake stands, the sunlight gilding his hair and beard. The dauntless captain of the Golden Hind has become the queen's golden knight.
Nowadays, Sir Francis Drake is most famous for his role in defeating the Armada of 1588 and saving England from a Spanish invasion. By that point in his life, he was already a wealthy and famous seafarer, the first Englishman to sail around the world, knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in recognition of this astounding feat. But though he is remembered in England as a naval hero, Drake spent most of his maritime career as a pirate, feared by the Spanish whose colonies and ships he terrorized. To them he was El Drake, the dragon, with a bounty placed on his head by King Philip II of Spain himself. So who was the real Francis Drake? avaricious pirate or patriotic naval commander? How did a boy from an agricultural Devonshire family discover fame and fortune on the high seas?
And to what extent is his heroic reputation overshadowed by his darker deeds?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who was Sir Francis Drake and why is he significant?
0:01–2:34
2
What events shaped Francis Drake's early life and career?
2:34–7:51
3
How did Drake transition from piracy to naval hero?
7:51–14:04
4
What role did Drake play in the transatlantic slave trade?
14:04–18:49
5
How did Drake's actions lead to the defeat of the Spanish Armada?
18:49–24:40
6
What were the consequences of Drake's raid on Cadiz?
24:40–29:09
7
How did Drake's legacy evolve after his death?
29:09–34:10
8
What complexities define the historical perception of Sir Francis Drake?
34:10–49:48