Episode 1

S1 E1: In an age of Catholic extremism, young Princess Elizabeth is taken to the Tower of London, accused of plotting to assassinate “Bloody” Mary as part of a Protestant coup. Elizabeth continues to protest her innocence but Mary is determined to be rid of her rival half-sister As the country is ripped apart by religious persecution, Elizabeth’s plight worsens with the news that Mary is pregnant, however things suddenly change. With the death of Mary the young Queen Elizabeth is adored up and down the country, but she soon finds herself at odds with her own court. Her closest advisors want her to make a political marriage to a foreign prince that will ensure England’s stability across Europe. But Elizabeth is reluctant to share the throne and refuses to commit, continuing instead to flirt with the distrusted and ambitious Sir Robert Dudley. Then tragedy strikes and Elizabeth must make a choice. Should she surrender to the will of the council and give up her power, or risk her own monarchy by pushing ahead with a deeply unpopular marriage to Dudley?