This first on-screen pairing of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier began a romance that captured the imagination of the world. Based on A.E.W. Mason's novel, the film is set during the reign of Elizabeth I (in a starring role for Flora Robson), as Spain plots its attack on England. Leigh plays a lady-in-waiting to the Court, while Olivier is the daring young naval officer whose loyalty to the Queen sets him on a suicide mission against the superior Spanish Armada under the command of King Philip II of Spain (Massey). Look for James Mason in an uncredited appearance.