Armada: 12 Days to Save England

2015•1h

Three-part documentary about the sinking of the Spanish Armada, featuring dramatic reconstructions and information gleaned from recently recovered documents. Dan Snow takes to the sea to tell the story of how England came within a whisker of disaster in summer 1588.

Seasons

3 Episodes • Premiered 2015

1. 12 Days to Save England

Dan Snow boards a yacht on the English channel to get a sense of the naval battle, revealing how tensions between England and Spain were fuelled by religion, piracy and Elizabeth I's rejection of King Philip II of Spain as a suitor 30 years earlier, and how a missed opportunity could have resulted in disaster.

2. The Battle for England

Dan relives the fierce battles at sea and we go behind the scenes in the royal court of Elizabeth as the Spanish fleet prepares for full-on invasion.

3. Endgame

Newly discovered documents reveal a remarkable web of misunderstandings that stopped the Spanish from invading, and show how the English victory forged the reputation of Elizabeth.