No offense, but I don't think Portugal was much stronger and wealthier than England.
Pre-1580 Portugal had a world-spanning empire, with virtual monopoly in European spice trade along with with being one of (if not the) largest producer of sugar.
In terms of "stronger", though the Portuguese didn't have a Spain-sized army, it had a navy on par with the Spaniards and the Ottomans, England didn't have her naval expansion significantly until Lizzie.