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Why did Queen Elizabeth I support some of Sir Francis Drake’s expeditions?

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Portrait of Sir Francis Drake with a lace ruff collar, mustache, and short curly hair, painted in oil on panel. The background includes his name in gold lettering. — Sir Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake, oil on panel, after an engraving attributed to Jodocus Hondius, c. 1583; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Queen Elizabeth I supported Sir Francis Drake’s expeditions primarily for strategic, financial, and political reasons during a period of intense rivalry between Protestant England and Catholic Spain.1

Her support was driven by several key factors:

Strategic Defense: Elizabeth utilized Drake as a privateer and naval officer to disrupt Spanish power. For example, she ordered him to lead a preemptive strike against the Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cádiz in 1587 to hinder King Philip II’s plans to invade England.1
Financial Gain: Expeditions were often lucrative. Drake’s raids on Spanish ships and colonies provided significant wealth; following the raid on Cádiz, Elizabeth received a substantial bounty of over £40,000. She also invested in his earlier slave-trading ventures.12
Political Plausibility: Because England and Spain were not always in open war, Elizabeth often used privateering as a way to challenge Spanish dominance while maintaining the ability to deny official involvement if a mission failed or caused diplomatic friction.12

Ultimately, these expeditions served to challenge Spanish colonial monopolies and bolster England's own economic and military standing during the Elizabethan Age.13