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During the late 1500s, the imperial centres of London and Marrakech could not have been more different. Both Queen Elizabeth I (1553–1603) and Sultan Ahmad al-Mansūr (1549–1603) reigned over kingdoms whose political, cultural, and religious landscapes appeared to be worlds apart. Yet despite these divergent realities of Tudor England and Sa’di Morocco, both Elizabeth I and Ahmad al-Mansūr shared one common goal that eventually brought them together to form an unlikely alliance: empire-building. From a shared curiosity of one another’s fledgling empires to a desire to strike a mutually beneficial alliance, Elizabeth I and Ahmad al-Mansūr forged ties that were unprecedented for both Tudor England (1485–1603) and Saʿdi Morocco (1554–1660). Moreover, their alliance was not necessarily one of power imbalances, as one might anachronistically presume. During their reigns, England had yet to establish its first colony in the Atlantic, while Morocco had extended its territorial control deep into the Niger Delta after successfully invading the West African Songhay Empire in 1591. Elizabeth I and Ahmad al-Mansūr each held a significant amount of leverage in setting the terms for their alliance. Throughout their communications, these two rulers contrived plots against foes, negotiated trade agreements, and, most importantly, took steps to secure their respective imperial interests. By situating the correspondences between Elizabeth I and Ahmad al-Mansūr alongside historical developments, this paper argues that the alliance between these two rulers was foundational in each of their ascents to the ranks of Atlantic powers and that the fates of their empire-building projects were intertwined.

Partners in empire: Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur and Queen Elizabeth I