What role did Bernardino de Mendoza play in the dispute over Drake's treasure?
Bernardino de Mendoza, Philip II's ambassador to Elizabeth I's court, was a menacing, zealously Catholic figure who actively worked to subvert Elizabeth's regime. When Francis Drake returned to England aboard the Golden Hind with a treasure haul worth £400,000 — more than Elizabeth's entire annual income — Mendoza demanded an audience to formally protest Drake's actions on Spain's behalf. He delivered Elizabeth a blunt warning: "A war is easily begun, but not so soon ended."
"A war is easily begun, but not so soon ended."
— Bernardino de Mendoza, Philip II's ambassador, to Elizabeth I
Elizabeth did not capitulate. Rather than address Mendoza's protests directly, she deflected him by demanding a full account of the Spanish invasion of Ireland — a reference to the episode at Smerwick, where Spanish forces had landed in support of a Catholic uprising — before she would agree to meet him. It was a masterclass in diplomatic evasion: turning an accusation into a counter-accusation and buying time while she quietly managed the treasure on her own terms.
Behind the scenes, Elizabeth was navigating the dispute with considerable care. She secretly allowed Drake to keep £10,000 for himself and permitted £14,000 to be distributed among his crew, while £100,000 went directly to her own coffers, recorded off the books. A further £30,000 was licensed to be returned to Spanish merchants who could prove legitimate claims in London. On 1 April 1581, she staged Drake's knighting ceremony aboard the Golden Hind at Deptford — a public signal that she stood behind him, delivered with the full theatre of the English court. Mendoza's threats had not moved her. You can explore the full episode on Listenly.
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The hardline Protestant and Puritan wing of the Privy Council — including Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester), Francis Walsingham, and Sir Christopher Hatton — actively backed Drake and his actions against Spain.
Drake returned with gold, silver, and goods totalling approximately £400,000 — exceeding Elizabeth I's entire annual income. Elizabeth secretly allowed Drake to keep £10,000 for himself and had £100,000 donated to her own treasury off the books.
Drake was deeply worried about Elizabeth I's reaction to his return because he was persona non grata in Spain following his raids on Spanish territories, and he feared she might hand him over to placate Philip II rather than celebrate his achievement.