One of the most significant diplomatic successes for the English Crown at the end of the 16th century was the establishment of a permanent embassy in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This crucial diplomatic post was founded by William Harborne, an English merchant from Norfolk, who received authorization from Queen Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603) to establish the embassy in November 1582. Returning in March 1583, Harborne devoted his diplomatic tenure to attempting to forge an alliance with the Sultan against Philip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598), who was dangerously arming himself to invade England. However, Harborne’s efforts ultimately proved ineffective, as a formal alliance between the Kingdom of England and the Ottoman Empire was never achieved, partly because Murad III (r. 1574-1595) had concluded a truce with Spain in 1581. Nevertheless, the English continued to court the Sultan, as it would have been unwise to alienate a potential trade partner. Thanks to the intense diplomatic efforts of Harborne’s successor, Edward Barton, it was decided in the late 1590s to send a pipe organ, designed by the Lancashire craftsman Thomas Dallam, to the Sultan's court. Dallam set out with his creation in 1599, but upon arrival in Constantinople, he found that Barton had been replaced by Henry Lello, a diplomat of few qualities, as Barton had died the previous year from dysentery. Upon arrival, Dallam discovered that his organ had been severely damaged, as many of the metal parts had deteriorated due to the heat and humidity. Lello remarked that, in its current condition, the instrument wasn’t worth a penny. Driven by pride, Dallam worked day and night to repair the organ, and when he finally played it, Mehmed III (r. 1595-1603) – the successor of Murad III – was so impressed that he showered Dallam with gold and even offered him two wives, either two of the Sultan’s concubines or two virgins chosen by Dallam himself. The pragmatism of the English Crown had once again triumphed.