Episode 104: Elizabeth and the Pretender

In 1580 Portugal was in the midst of a succession crisis. Don Antonio had a good claim to the throne, but he was illegitimate. Philip II of Spain had a claim, but he was Spanish, and thus, a foreigner. Philip took the throne, leaving Don Antonio an exile with a claim to the throne. He found some support in England, where Elizabeth saw him as an asset in her fight against Philip and Spain in the leadup to the Armada. This one event in Elizabeth's foreign policy sheds light on her calculating nature, and how she

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