there was a famous meeting at gravelines in 1520, between the holy roman emperor charles v and henry viii of england. there were two battles fought nearby: the first was a land battle in 1558 resulting in a victory by spanish forces of lamoral, count of egmont over the french under marshal paul des thermes, while the second was a naval attack using fire ships in 1588 launched by england's royal navy under lord howard against the spanish armada at anchor. gravelines was also the setting for sir philip sidney's failure to deliver the town from spanish occupation in july 1586, which is described in the anonymous "a discourse of the enterprise of gravelines".