A royal escort tests Effingham's maritime diplomacy

Effingham's first senior military posting was on land during the suppression of the Northern Rebellion, work with which he was not comfortable. A 1570 state visit then offered a more fitting test when Elizabeth I ordered him and William Winter to meet the Queen of Spain at sea. They were to offer safe passage, additional ships, and support while conveying that recent friction came from ill-conditioned ministers rather than hostility toward the Spanish king. The mission required practical squadron command and precise representation of the Crown at the same time. It helps explain why diplomatic judgment counted as preparation for the office of Lord High Admiral.