The Tudor Society

May 28 – An alleged plot and the Spanish Armada

On this day in Tudor history, 28th May 1582, Roman Catholic priests Thomas Forde, John Shert and Robert Johnson suffered full traitors' deaths at Tyburn.

The three priests had been condemned for their alleged involvement in the Rome and Reims Plot of 1580, but many believe that this plot wasn't actually real.

Let me explain exactly what led to these men's executions in 1582, why Roman Catholic priests were persecuted in this manner, and what the plot was all about...

And on this day in 1588, the Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon in Portugal bound for the Spanish Netherlands.

With the Pope's blessing, King Philip II was going to invade England and depose the heretic, Queen Elizabeth I. The stop at the Netherlands was simply to pick up the Spanish forces there.

What happened next and why did the Spanish Armada fail?

Find out all about the Spanish Armada and how England was victorious...

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May 28 – An alleged plot and the Spanish Armada