In the summer of 1588 the great Spanish Empire attempted to conquer the ‘rogue state’ of the era – Elizabethan England. The highly organised and largest Spanish fleet in history to date was defeated by the mercenary and piratical English navy in the Channel. Through interviews with naval historians and dramatic reconstructions this documentary explores differences in naval technology, the capabilities of each army and the fate of fighting ships in the age of sail. Secret History: The Spanish Armada reveals much about the English and England at that time. Produced by David Wilson, the events are brought to life very dramatically. The Spanish Armada was recreated by taking one ship and using computer compositing. The Ship was a reconditioned 19th century vessel called The Earl of Pembroke, which was dressed to look like a 16th Century bark. Spain was a mighty nation compared to England at that time so why should they spend so much money to launch an attack on us? “England was a rogue nation,” David says. “There is a real modern parallel here. Elizabeth herself was quite moderate but she had protestant radicals prodding her; Calvinists who hated the Spanish for their treatment of Dutch protestants. Sir Francis Drake hated Catholics and the Spanish, and had stolen a lot of Spanish treasure through piracy. For Philip, England was a real nuisance.”