Letters from Philip II with orders against pretender to the throne auctioned

According to the auctioneer, the documents, dated 1588, include the formal appointment of the Duke, Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, as head of the expedition following the death of the Marquis of Santa Cruz, as well as detailed military instructions regarding the journey, coordination with the Duke of Parma's army in Flanders and possible alternative actions in case of setbacks.

The Spanish Armada was a fleet sent by Philip II during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604) to invade England, overthrow Elizabeth I, restore Catholicism, counter English support for the independence of the Netherlands, then under Spanish rule, and contain pirate attacks on Spanish trade routes and colonies.

The documents also included a secret instruction that contemplated the capture of the Isle of Wight and the capture of the pretender to the Portuguese throne, Dom António.

Dom António, prior of Crato, who lived between 1531 and 1595, was the grandson of King Manuel I, and presented himself as a candidate for the throne of Portugal in 1580, after the disappearance of King Sebastian, in the battle of Alcácer Quibir, in 1578.

They also included an order signed by Medina Sidonia himself aboard the galleon San Martín, with instructions on naval combat, safety and discipline on board.

The letters, until then in private hands, offer valuable information about the preparations for one of the largest naval operations of the 16th century, which culminated in a significant defeat for Spain due to a combination of military, strategic, meteorological and logistical factors.

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