Charles Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham

Charles Howard, Lord Howard of Effingham, commanded the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Born in 1536 into a family already central to naval affairs — his father and great-grandfather had both been Lord Admiral — he was a cousin of Elizabeth I through the Boleyns, and served as an ambassador, as a member of parliament and as Lord Chamberlain. He was appointed Lord High Admiral in 1585. He was not a great seaman by comparison with Drake, Hawkins or Frobisher, all of whom served under him, and the appointment reflected rank as much as skill; his contribution was to hold that group of experienced, quarrelsome and mutually jealous commanders together and to back their judgement. He sat on the commission that tried Mary, Queen of Scots, and reportedly urged Elizabeth to spare her. When the Armada appeared off the Lizard in July 1588, Howard's fleet followed it up the Channel in a running fight over a week, using superior sailing qualities and longer-range guns while declining to close and be boarded, which was what the Spanish tactics required. The decisive action was at Gravelines. Fireships sent among the anchored Spanish fleet off Calais on the night of 7 August broke its crescent formation, and the English attacked at close range the following day. The Armada was driven into the North Sea and around Scotland and Ireland, losing most of its ships to weather. He protested angrily at the crown's failure to pay or feed the sailors afterwards, many of whom died of disease in port. He commanded at Cadiz in 1596, was created Earl of Nottingham, and died in 1624.

• Lived: 1536 CE – 1624 CE
• Nationality: English
• Roles: admiral