Henry Cobham (diplomat) facts for kids

Sir Henry Cobham (1537–1592) was an important English diplomat during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in talks with other nations. Sir Henry helped manage England's relationships with powerful countries like Spain, France, and the Holy Roman Empire. He traveled a lot, carrying messages and negotiating on behalf of the Queen.

Life as a Diplomat

Henry Cobham was the fifth son of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham. He was known simply as Henry Cobham. His journey as a diplomat began early.

Early Missions

In 1561, Henry Cobham traveled to Spain with Sir Thomas Chaloner. Sir Thomas was the official ambassador for England in Madrid. Henry returned to England that same year, bringing important messages.

A few years later, in 1567, Queen Elizabeth I sent him to Vienna. He carried letters to Emperor Maximilian II and Archduke Charles. The Queen hoped to restart talks about her possibly marrying the Archduke. However, Henry returned with a "no" for an answer.

Dealing with Spain

In 1570, Henry Cobham went to Antwerp. His trip seemed like a friendly visit, but his real job was to find out where the Duke of Alva's fleet of ships was going. After that, he traveled to Speyer to meet the Emperor. Then, he went through Paris to Spain.

In Spain, he was an "envoy extraordinary" to King Philip II. This meant he was a special messenger with specific tasks. His main goals were:

• To ask for the release of English ships. These ships had been taken by the Duke of Alva. Alva claimed it was payback for attacks by English privateers. Privateers were like legal pirates who attacked enemy ships for their country.
• To ask Spain to send away English Catholic refugees. These were people who had left England because of their religion.

When Cobham met King Philip II in Madrid, he was quickly sent to the King's council. He tried to argue that the Duke of Alva had started the problems. But the Spanish officials disagreed. They suggested that Queen Elizabeth should first return Spanish treasures taken by English privateers. After these difficult talks, Cobham returned to England.

Later Missions and Knighthood

In the summer of 1575, Henry Cobham was knighted at Kenilworth. This meant he was now called "Sir Henry Cobham." That autumn, he was sent back to Madrid. This time, his tasks included:

• Asking for religious tolerance for English people living or traveling in Spain. This meant they wanted English people to be able to practice their own religion freely.
• Asking for English ambassadors to be allowed to use English church services in their own homes.
• Offering to help make peace between King Philip and the Netherlands.

The Duke of Alva agreed to relax the laws against non-Catholics for English residents. But Spain refused England's offer to help with peace talks. After returning to England, Sir Henry was quickly sent to Brussels. He was supposed to warn Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga that England would go to war if he continued his harsh actions. However, Requesens died before Sir Henry could deliver the message.

Ambassador to France

In 1579, Sir Henry Cobham became the ambassador to Paris, France. He took over from Sir Amyas Paulet. His instructions in France were important:

• To discuss a plan for England and France to work together. The goal was to help Don Antonio become the king of Portugal.
• To ask for a special court to help English people who had been harmed by French privateers.
• To delay talks about a possible marriage between Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Alençon.

In 1581, other important English officials, Somers and Francis Walsingham, joined him. Together, they suggested that England and France form a "league of amity" (a strong friendship alliance) instead of the Queen marrying the Duke. Sir Henry stayed in Paris until 1583, when he was called back to England.

Parliament and Death

Sir Henry Cobham represented Kent in the English Parliament in 1586 and 1589. He was also part of important committees. He passed away in 1592 in Sutton-at-Hone.

Family

Sir Henry Cobham married Anne, who was the daughter of Sir Henry Sutton. Anne was also the widow of Walter Haddon. Sir Henry and Anne had three sons. Their second son became John Brooke, 1st Baron Cobham. However, John died without children, so the title of Baron Cobham ended with him.