Prince Rupert’s Failure at Lisbon and Blake’s Victory Over the Portuguese Fleet (1650)

Prince Rupert of the Rhine, commanding a Royalist fleet, made two unsuccessful attempts to break Robert Blake’s blockade of Lisbon. However, the blockade was only lifted after Blake decisively defeated the Portuguese fleet in battle and then sailed for Cádiz with seven captured ships.

Blake’s Engagement with the Portuguese Fleet

• While maintaining his blockade of Lisbon, Blake faced a major challenge from the Portuguese navy, which sought to protect its harbor and trade routes.
• In a three-hour naval engagement, Blake’s fleet of seventeen ships confronted a larger Portuguese force of twenty-three ships.
• Despite being outnumbered, the English fleet emerged victorious:
  • Seven Portuguese ships were captured.
  • One of the Portuguese Vice-Admirals’ ships was sunk.

With this victory, Blake effectively crippled Portugal’s ability to resist the English fleet.

Blake Lifts the Blockade and Sails for Cádiz

• Having secured a decisive advantage, Blake lifted the blockade and sailed south to Cádiz, bringing his seven captured Portuguese ships with him.
• The defeat humiliated Portugal and demonstrated English naval superiority, further isolating Prince Rupert, who soon fled from Lisbon.
• The losses suffered by the Portuguese navy contributed to Portugal’s eventual peace negotiations with England in 1654.

Conclusion: A Strategic Blow to Royalists and Portugal

Blake’s three-hour victory over the Portuguese fleet and the seizure of seven enemy ships marked a turning point in English naval dominance. Rupert’s failure to break the blockade and Blake’s triumph over the Portuguese navy secured English Commonwealth control of the seas, weakening both Royalist and Portuguese resistance.