This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Ever the victor on the battlefield, Devereux returns to London after defeating Spanish forces at Cadiz. Middle-aged Elizabeth, so attracted to the younger Devereux but fearful of his influence and popularity, sends him on a new mission: a doomed campaign to Ireland. When he and his troops return in defeat, Devereux demands to share the throne with the heir-less queen, and Elizabeth, at first, intends to marry. Ultimately sensing the marriage would prove disastrous for England, Elizabeth sets in motion a merciless plan to protect her people and preserve her throne. 在打败了西班牙军队之后，罗伯特（埃罗尔·弗林 Errol Flynn 饰）在万众瞩目之下意气风发的回到了英国。此时的伊丽莎白女皇（贝蒂·戴维斯 Bette Davis 饰）虽然已经人到中年，但依然散发着五人能够抵挡的魅力，令罗伯特拜倒在她的石榴裙下。虽然伊丽莎白也很喜欢眼前这个精壮的小伙子，但为了自己的名誉着想，她设下了一个圈套。 伊丽莎白女王将罗伯特派往爱尔兰进行一场艰苦的战役，她清楚此仗凶多吉少。果不其然，罗伯特灰头土脸的战败而归，之后他提出想要同伊丽莎白结婚，两人共享王位。聪明而又狡猾的伊丽莎白明白，如果罗伯特登上王位，必定会给国家带来灾难性的后果。
