Diplomatic Interlude

Abstract In 1576 and 1577 Beale was sent abroad as Queen Elizabeth’s formal ambassador, first to the Netherlands to negotiate the release of English ships, and second to Germany to persuade the Protestant princes away from hardline Lutheran doctrines in the Formula of Concord condemning other Protestants. Beale was climbing the ladder of government service, but he was still largely recognized as a specialist in diplomacy and with the relevant languages. In both cases, Beale achieved a degree of success, but he also was the victim of piracy and incurred enormous financial losses. One of several ambassadors on each occasion, Beale followed in the footsteps of Philip Sidney and worked closely with Daniel Rogers, a friend from years previous and close colleague for years to come. Looking towards the future, Beale collected and retained as much of his paperwork possible, which added to his working personal archive.