Anglo-Spanish Treaty, 1605When Philip III of Spain ratified the Treaty of London at Valladolid in the late spring of 1605, he brought to an end almost two decades of warfare between Spain and England.

The nadir of this war had been the launching of the Armada in 1588 against Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth's successor was James I. He was eager to conclude peace with Spain, and hostilities between the two countries ceased shortly after he succeeded to the English throne in 1603.

Despite bringing conflict between the two countries to an end, the treaty failed to settle a number of issues, not least the status of English Catholics. Philip III effectively abandoned them after he receiving verbal assurances from James that persecution would cease.