What are the causes and effects of the Anglo-Spain conflict during the reign of Elizabeth I ?

The causes of the conflict were both religious and
diplomatic, and resulted in Spain's failed attempt to invade England with the Spanish
Armada.

Philip II of Spain was a devout Catholic and
devoted to maintaining Catholicism in Europe. He had been married to Elizabeth I's half
sister, Mary I during her brief reign. Since Mary was Catholic, Philip believed that her
reign marked the return of England to the Catholic Church. When Mary died and Elizabeth
ascended the throne, Philip proposed marriage to her also. Elizabeth rather coyly
avoided a flat response, and thus strung Philip along for some time. When it became
apparent that Elizabeth would not marry him, let alone convert to Catholicism, Philip
supported a number of plots to have Elizabeth overthrown and/or assassinated. The most
famous of these plots involved Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's Catholic cousin who had
been forced to flee Scotland. After Mary was implicated in two plots to assassinate
Elizabeth and take the throne for herself, Elizabeth had no choice but to order
Elizabeth's execution. This action enraged Philip.

A second
cause was the actions of Francis Drake, the English privateer who attacked Spanish
shipments and settlements in the New World. When Drake found his way across the Atlantic
blocked by Spanish ships, he sailed west and circumnavigated the globe to return to
England. Philip demanded that Elizabeth surrender Drake to him so that he might stand
trial in Spain for his actions. Rather than surrender him, Elizabeth knighted Drake on
the deck of his ship when he docked. Philip was further outraged, and sent the Spanish
Armada to retrieve troops from the Netherlands and invade England. The plan again was to
remove Elizabeth. At the time the Armada was launched, Elizabeth met with her troops
dressed in full battle armor and told them

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I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble
woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King; and of a King of England
too.

The failure of the
Armada doomed any chances of England returning to Catholicism.