Why was England jealous of Spain?

Answer 1

The reasons for Anglo-Spanish rivalry in the 15th-17th centuries were many and complex; besides the commercial rivalries for the trade and commerce of the Spanish colonies in the New World, there were political complications arising from the competing interests of the two nations in terms of Old World trade---from the Low countries, which before the beginning of the 80 Year's War were possessions of Spain but commercially more closely tied to the nearby English market; and from the Mediterranean, where Spain also had extensive possessions, and where England's merchant marine enjoyed wide employment. An event of large import, also, was the "political-alliance" marriage of Catherine of Aragon, who as the youngest surviving child of was a possible heiress to the Spanish throne, to her distant cousin, England's Prince of Wales, King Henry VII's oldest son Arthur, was ended by his premature death; she subsequently became the first of the seven wives of Arthur's brother, the famous Henry VIII, in 1509. As no male children of this union survived, and having become enamoured of his paramour---one of Queen Catherine's maids-of-honor--- Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII sought an annulment of his marraige to Catherine from the Pope; when this was not forthcoming, Henry separated the Church of England from the Catholic Church in order to have his annulment---and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn---san- ctioned by religious authority; this precipitated crisis with the Catholic Church's staunch defender, the Spanish Crown, that played out in a bewildering series of wars that ended only 250 years later...

Answer 2

mainly the conflicting religions, also the ruling families were (if loosly) related, and so there was a mini struggle for power. Also, both nations wanted full control of Europe's waters, because that would afford that country taxing rites.

Answer 3

Because they didn't want to share!

That not so serious answer actually has quite a bit of truth to it. There was(and is) a finite amount of whatever they wanted. Simple math dictates that if there are ten apples and Spain and England want the apples, no matter what they do, there will still only be ten apples. To get the largest piece of the pie, so to speak, they had to compete.

Answer 4

The problem began when Henry VIII of England broke with the Church in Rome because it wouldn't grant him a divorce. As vehement as Henry was, Spain was at least as pro Church of Rome.