WDF THINKS: Queen Elizabeth I and the Portuguese Plot

Something special for all lovely fans of WDF for the month of December, it's...something completely unrelated to Christmas!

In this episode of WDF THINKS we ask the very relevant question - was Queen Elizabeth I of England all that great at diplomacy? Sure there was that whole Armada thing, but what about her actual talents and abilities as a diplomatist, particularly a female diplomatist in a world where few such things existed? Well, WDF is proud to take up the challenge by examining a lesser known event from Elizabeth's history - the curious issue of the Portuguese Pretender, a certain Don Antonio, the illegitimate son of the extinct Portuguese House, where King Philip II of Spain now claimed overlordship.

Liz's mission was to make use of Don Antonio throughout the frightful events of the 1580s, and to somehow help him without offending the Spanish, only to greatly offend and threaten the Spanish when it suited her. Much depended on whether or not Elizabeth needed a Portuguese bargaining chip, or a stick, with which it could beat up the Spanish King. Her record in balancing the right policy was impressive, but was it good enough to justify her place as a named Patreon tier, where only the greatest diplomatists in history reside in that pantheon of thankssss? You simply must find out, and you also must let me know what you thought!

Also, make sure that you check the blog post on this very episode - why not put some faces to the names?

www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/wdfthinksliz

This episode was launched to assess the career of Queen Liz, but we also have another reason for doing it. Queen Elizabeth I of England has her own named Patreon tier, and for a certain amount every month, you can select her or her similarly named peers by heading over to www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails If WDF THINKS is something you enjoyed, why not share the love and making me even more excited to pod well into the future. Thanksss to the support I've received from history friends JUST LIKE YOU, I've been able to make this into a part time job, but we can always go further! Let's bring history podcasting to new heights - let's make WDF and history thrive!

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