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The Treaty of London, signed on 18 August O.S. (28 August N.S.) 1604, concluded the nineteen-year Anglo-Spanish War. The treaty restored the ''status quo'' between the two nations. The negotiations probably took place at Somerset House in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
and are sometimes known as the Somerset House Conference.


Background

The Anglo-Spanish War had been a complex and fluctuating conflict that also had connections with the Dutch Revolt, the
French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...
, and the Nine Years' War in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. The war by 1600 had been going on for nearly fifteen years with neither side gaining an overall benefit or a decisive advantage. The exhaustion of Spain, the rebellious opposition to the King's request for money, the mutinies of the troops in the Netherlands, and the fear of a renewal of a new war with France over the Duchy of Saluzzo all combined to emphasise the hopelessness of inflicting a vital blow on England.


Early peace proposals

In April 1600, Archduke Albert, the
governor of the Spanish Netherlands The governor ( nl, landvoogd) or governor-general () of the Habsburg Netherlands was a representative appointed by the Holy Roman emperor (1504-1556), the king of Spain (1556-1598, 1621-1706), and the archduke of Austria (1716-1794), to administer ...
, opened secret negotiations with England for a settlement but did not inform Madrid.Maltby p. 120 The following month, negotiations culminated in a meeting of a conference at Boulogne between representatives of Spain, England and Burgundy. Spain demanded the cession of the Cautionary Towns. England demanded free trade with Spain and her empire, freedom of English subjects from the
inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
and the exclusive right of having warships in the channel. The talks got nowhere, Spain contended that it was absurd to expect the sovereign of a worldwide empire to give the ''pas'' to a queen of a few islands. By August the talks were off – mutual distrust and United Provinces pressure made any agreement impossible. Despite this however diplomatic routes were open between England, Albert, and his wife, Isabella Clara Eugenia (Philip's sister). Letters from representatives showed that Albert, Isabella Clara Eugenia, and Philip were still anxious for peace despite their difference in policies. Philip wanted to preserve the hegemony of the Spanish empire, whilst the Archduke and Isabella sought peace and friendly relations.McCoog pp. 222–23 After the death of Queen
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
in 1603, her successor, James I, quickly sought to end the long and draining conflict. By this time Spanish hopes of a decisive military victory in the Netherlands, or a successful invasion of England, were relatively remote. James was an idealistic practitioner of Christian peace and unity and also the son and successor to
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
, whose execution had been a proximate cause of the conflict.
Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...
had also inherited the war from his predecessor,
Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...
, and his treasuries had also been drained and so he warmly welcomed the offer and ordered the commencement of the difficult negotiations that followed. The concern of the government in Madrid was to improve their dire military situation in the Netherlands by reducing or stopping English help to the Dutch rebels.Brown, Elliott, Museo del Prado p. 14 Meanwhile,
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (), Heer van Berkel en Rodenrijs (1600), Gunterstein (1611) and Bakkum (1613) (14 September 1547 – 13 May 1619) was a Dutch statesman and revolutionary who played an important role in the Dutch struggle for indepen ...
, heading the delegation of the
States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia ( nl, Staten van Holland en West-Friesland) were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a c ...
, tried to attract the complicity of the new English monarch in the conflict in Flanders, of which the focus was the Siege of Ostend.Fissel pp. 186–87 The siege had become a struggle of bloody attrition after just over two years.Rowse p. 413 The first moves towards peace were taken in June 1603, when Juan de Tassis headed a Spanish–Flemish Commission which visited London, seeking truces and mutual good faith. Tassis was despatched to England by
Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...
to explore the possibilities for a settlement following Elizabeth's death. Archduke Albert had already sent his envoy Charles de Ligne, prince-count of Arenberg, to London and was joined by Juan de Tassis, in September 1603. Although De Tassis lacked full negotiating powers he was active behind the scene the following month in preparation for a settlement.


Treaty

At the end of 1603, the constable of Castile arrived in Brussels with the authorisation to conclude the treaty if one could be negotiated. On 19 May 1604, with the constable still waiting in the wings, the rest of the Habsburg delegation arrived in London and the English negotiating team was appointed.


English delegation

* Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1563–1612), Secretary of State, James I's leading minister * Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire (1563–1606), soldier * Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset (1536–1608),
Lord Treasurer The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State i ...
* Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton (1540–1614), Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports * Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (1536–1624), Lord High Admiral


Spanish delegations

The Spanish negotiated with two delegations, one representing the King of Spain, the other the Archdukes
Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...
and Isabella, rulers of the Spanish Netherlands. Spanish delegation: * Juan Fernández de Velasco, 5th Duke of Frías,
Constable of Castile Constable of Castile ( es, Condestable de Castilla) was a title created by John I, King of Castile in 1382, to substitute the title ''Alférez Mayor del Reino''. The constable was the second person in power in the kingdom, after the King, and hi ...
* Juan de Tassis, 1st Count of Villamediana * Alessandro Robida, Senator of
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
Delegation of the Spanish Netherlands: *
Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg Princely Count Charles of Arenberg, duke of Aarschot (''jure uxoris''), baron of Zevenbergen, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, (22 February 1550, in Vollenhove – 18 January 1616, in Enghien) was the second Princely Count of Arenberg ...
* Jean Richardot, President of the
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
Privy Council * Louis Verreyken, Audiencier of Brussels


Terms

* Spain recognizes the Protestant monarchy of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and renounces intentions to restore the Church of Rome in the country. * An end to Spanish military intervention in Ireland.O'Connor p. 63 * An end to English disruption to Spanish trans-Atlantic shipping and colonial expansion (article 6). * The
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
opened to Spanish shipping. * An end to English intervention in the Dutch Revolt (articles 4,5,7); England withdraws military and financial support to the Dutch rebels. * Ships of both countries, merchants or warships, could use the mainland seaports of the other party for refit, shelter or buy provisions (article 10). Fleets of less than eight ships did not even have to ask for permission, which provided an extensive network of naval bases for the Spaniards in England to help their war against the Protestant Dutch. The treaty restored the status quo ante bellum.Hiram Morgan, ‘Teaching the Armada: An Introduction to the Anglo-Spanish War, 1585-1604’, ''History Ireland'', Vol. 14, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 2006), p. 43.Paul Allen, ''Philip III and the Pax Hispanica, 1598-1621'' (New Haven, 2000). It amounted to an acknowledgement by Spain that its hopes of restoring Roman Catholicism in England were at an end and it had to recognise the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
monarchy in England. In return, England ended its financial and military support for the Dutch rebellion, ongoing since the Treaty of Nonsuch (1585), and had to end its wartime disruption of Spanish trans-Atlantic shipping and colonial expansion.


Aftermath

With England out of the way, the Spanish hoped for a knock-out blow that would force the Dutch into a peace by launching a huge campaign led by Ambrogio Spinola in 1606.Allen pp. 142-43 James still allowed the Dutch army to recruit English volunteer soldiers in their service – 8,000 having served in the Netherlands in 1605.Dunthorne p. 65 In addition, English corsairs were now finding their needs in the service of the Dutch, who preyed on Spanish shipping. Conversely, Spanish warships and privateers were allowed to use English ports as naval bases to attack Dutch shipping or to transport reinforcements to Flanders. In November 1607, the costs of the recent wars with France, the Protestant Dutch as well as England resulted in Spain's bankruptcy. The
Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like France began treating the Republic as a soverei ...
was thus signed, which formally recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic. To the English public, the treaty was highly unpopular, viewing it as a "humiliating peace". They felt that the King had deserted their ally the Netherlands in order to appease the Spanish, and it made James I "monumentally unpopular". Noel Caron, ambassador of the United Provinces to London, wrote that "no promulgation was ever received in London with more coolness, yes—with more sadness." As such no public celebrations were held in England after the conclusion of the agreement. The rift between James I's foreign policy and public opinion would widen some years later as a result of the " Spanish Match", when the Protestant
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
would confront the King over his marriage arrangement between Maria Anna of Spain, the daughter of
Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...
and James's son Charles, the Prince of Wales. The English delegation, however, considered the treaty with Spain a diplomatic victory which gave the English "peace with honour". Gold and silver medals designed by
Nicholas Hilliard Nicholas Hilliard () was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some larger cabinet miniatures, ...
were struck to commemorate the peace. The peace agreement was well received in Spain. There were big public celebrations in the Spanish capital Valladolid from April to June 1605 in honour of the treaty and of the birth of Philip's son Philip IV of Spain. Also present were the English ambassadorial delegation (which numbered 500) led by Lord Admiral Charles Howard. He had been sent by James I in return for Don Juan de Velasco having been sent to England to negotiate the peace the previous year.Hillgarth p. 23 The English delegation were welcomed with a warm reception and honours on 26 May which included Howard being received at the English college. The treaty was then ratified in the Royal Palace of Valladolid in the presence of Howard the following month. Some voices from the Catholic Church, however, expressed its concern to Philip III over his settlement with a "heretical power", especially Juan de Ribera, then bishop of
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
who protested. Once the agreement was concluded, Philip III appointed Don Pedro de Zuñiga as first Spanish resident ambassador to England. For the Spanish crown, there was hope after the peace treaty that England would eventually secure tolerance for Catholics. The
Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sough ...
in 1605, however, destroyed any possibility of this.Allen p 155 Protestant fears that a peace with Spain would ultimately mean an invasion by Jesuits and Catholic sympathisers over the coming years also failed to materialise as the Elizabethan
Recusancy Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...
laws were rigidly enforced by Parliament. Following the signing of the treaty, England and Spain remained at peace until 1625.


References


Sources

* * Davenport, Frances Gardiner; & Paullin, Charles Oscar. ''European Treaties Bearing on the History of the United States and Its Dependencies'', The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2004 , * * * * * * * *


External links


Text of the Treaty in Latin and English (main body incomplete only clauses 1,2,9
{{in lang, la
Text of the Treaty in English (complete)

Text of the Treaty in Latin and Spanish (complete)


See also

*
List of treaties This list of treaties contains known agreements, pacts, peaces, and major contracts between states, armies, governments, and tribal groups. Before 1200 CE 1200–1299 1300–1399 1400–1499 1500–1599 1600–1699 1700–1799 ...
1604 in England London (1604) 17th century in London Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) 1604 treaties London (1604) Treaties of Ireland