Elizabeth's reign was marked by numerous plots against her life by both Protestant and Catholic extremists. The most famous of these assassination plots was the one that resulted in the death of Elizabeth's second cousin, the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, who also had a claim upon the English throne. After Elizabeth had Mary Queen of Scots beheaded, King Philip II of Spain sent his huge fleet of ships, ____________, to invade England and reclaim it for the Catholic Church. The English successfully fought the Spanish at sea, and the Armada was destroyed in a storm.