The Speech to the Troops at Tilbury was delivered by Queen Elizabeth I of England to the land forces assembled at Tilbury in Essex in preparation to repel a possible invasion by the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Tilbury is located on the north bank of the River Thames, in the borough of Thurrock in England, at the point where the river suddenly narrows to about 800 yards/740 metres in width. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... The Spanish Armada (Old Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, large and most fortunate fleet; but called by the British, with ironic intention, la Armada Invencible, the Invincible Fleet) was a fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 in a failed attempt to bring an end to...

Content of the speech

My loving people,

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. A tyrant (from Greek τυραννος tyrannos) is a usurper of rightful power, possessing absolute power and ruling by tyranny. ... The Flag of England The Kingdom of England was a country located in western Europe, in the southern part of the island of Great Britain. ... Honour (CwE) or honor (AmE) comprises the reputation, self-perception or moral identity of an individual or of a group. ...

I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza (1545 - 1592) was the son of Duke Ottavio Farnese, duke of Parma and Margaret, the illegitimate daughter of the Habsburg Emperor Charles V. Thus Alessandro was the nephew of Philip II of Spain and of Don John of Austria. ...

I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (also referred to as Lord Leycester such as at the Lord Leycester Hospital. ...

Two primary sources of the Tilbury Speech in Elizabethan English are available from the Women Writers Project. Since 1986, the Women Writers Project at Brown University has worked to encode early literature by women writers in SGML. The eventual goal of the project is to include all English language works written or co-authored by women up to 1850. ...

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Speech to the Troops at Tilbury