Tudor Spymaster

Sir Francis Drake, the English naval commander who played bowls during the approach of the Spanish Armada in 1588, could afford to be nonchalant because the English already knew of the enemy invasion plans. The English intelligence was provided by a secret service organization created by Sir Francis Walsingham. Sir Francis, one of Elizabeth I’s leading advisors, recruited agents on England and sent them to operate as “deep cover” spies in enemy territory. One spy, Anthony Standen, styled himself as a courtier named Pompeo Pellegrini and penetrated the entourage of the Marquiz de Santa Cruz, Grand Admiral of the Spanish fleet. By intercepting letters between Santa Cruz and Philip II of Spain, Standen was able to warn his master of the preparations for the Armada in 1587 - months before it sailed to defeat.