On April 4, 1581 Francis Drake, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard his ship, the Golden Hind. This ceremony, held in the port of Deptford, was not only a personal honor for Drake but also a symbolic moment of triumph for the English crown.
It marked the successful circumnavigation of the globe — only the second such voyage in history and the first led by an Englishman.
Drake set sail from Plymouth, England, in December 1577 with five ships and a commission from the Queen, ostensibly to explore and raid Spanish holdings in the Americas. The voyage took a dramatic turn as Drake ventured through the treacherous Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America and into the Pacific Ocean. After a series of raids along the Spanish-controlled Pacific coast, Drake continued across the Pacific, through the Indonesian archipelago, around the Cape of Good Hope, and back to England — completing a circumnavigation in September 1580.
By the time Golden Hind returned, it was the only surviving ship, heavily laden with treasure and spices. Drake’s journey not only showcased English seafaring prowess but also delivered a substantial economic windfall, effectively paying off England’s national debt.
Queen Elizabeth I chose a unique setting for Drake’s knighting: his ship, Golden Hind, anchored on the River Thames. Interestingly, she delegated the actual act of knighting to the French ambassador, likely to soften diplomatic tensions with Spain, whose king, Philip II, considered Drake a pirate for his raids on Spanish colonies.
Despite the diplomatic theater, the message was clear: England celebrated Drake as a hero, and his voyage was a direct challenge to Spain’s dominance at sea. By knighting Drake, Elizabeth I endorsed England’s ambitions to become a global naval power.