Spanish Armada Philip expressing grave doubts about the planned campaign, but this was prevented from reaching the King by courtiers on the grounds that God would ensure the Armada's success. Prior to the undertaking, Pope Sixtus V allowed Philip II of Spain to collect crusade taxes and granted his men indulgences. The blessing of the Armada's banner on 25 April 1588, was similar to the ceremony used prior to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. On 28 May 1588, the Armada set sail from Lisbon and headed for the English Channel. The fleet was composed of 130 ships, 8,000 sailors and 18,000
Spanish Armada the anchored Armada to create panic) prevailed.". The expedition was the largest engagement of the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). The following year, England organised a similar large-scale campaign against Spain, the English Armada or "counter-Armada of 1589", which was also unsuccessful. The word "armada" is from the Spanish "armada", which is a cognate with English "army". Originally from the Latin "armāta", the past participle of "armāre" (to arm), used in Romance languages as a noun, for "armed force", "army", "navy", "fleet". "Armada Española" is still the Spanish term for the modern Spanish Navy. "Armada" (originally from its armadas) was also