Elizabeth I

By 1589 Elizabeth I was the heroine and saviour of her country.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada had secured the English nation and the English Protestant Church.

There was no more talk of her need to take a husband and produce an heir.

But who would succeed her?

Who would take her extraordinary power for themselves?

We have no need of that.

The look on your face tells the queen

all she needs to know about hers.

The looking glass is banished

from our palace. That one.

And those.

And that one and that one.

All gone.

This Accession Day is the 30th since you came to the throne.

Your knights will fight each other for your favor.

Perhaps he will follow this by disappearing.

30 years a queen... 26 when she became one.

- That means she is... - Astonishingly young.

Although not as astonishingly young

as the Earl of Essex, Father.

He's a rising star, gentlemen. We must learn to live with him.

What precisely are his talents? I never can remember.

I hear he has very expressive eyes.

After his father died

I was happy to have him in my care,

but I could not say I know him.

I, Sir Eglantine of the Grange,

beg you to desist from being the champion

of our glorious queen.

I love the Queen more than you ever will, young man.

Stand aside, for I am "Sir Greatheart,"

the sweetest knight in all chivalry.

Sir Walter Raleigh's knightly character

is obviously not based upon his own.

Easy, easy.

Ah, Walsingham's daughter

seems quite an admirer of the earl.

Oh.

Kneel, boy!

Today it is Walter

that wears our favor.

My favor, Sir Walter.

Your Majesty.

I see every fool must have a favor.

I'll call on you, sir, for your apology.

- Shall I? - No, no, no.

Dogs must have blood somehow, my lord.

Lady Frances Walsingham is wearing a very pretty dress.

One would think Sir Francis's daughter

wishes to be the center of attention.

The court of Lady Frances Walsingham.

We could compose anthems in her honor.

Your Majesty...

Come ladies, we are going to watch the Earl of Essex

at his favorite pastime, which is trying to kill people,

and Frances, you will walk with me.

Yes, Essex. That's it.

You look pale, Frances.

Good parry!

Anything the matter?

Whom do you favor, Sir Walter or Essex?

Guard up!

Do you approve of dueling, Frances?

- It is forbi... - It is forbidden,

as are so many other things.

Yes!

Well done, sir! Well done!

Pull his great heart down.

Do you not come out on my side, ma'am?

No, no, no. You must be checked.

Men like you must be ruled,

as was the Earl of Leicester in the end.

I am always your servant, ma'am.

Yes...

I do believe you are.

Oh, but you're wounded.

Oh, I must dress your wounds myself.

Come.

If I have offended Your Majesty, I...

I ever loved a loser, Wal-ter.

Fetch dressings, Frances. Go on. Run, girl.

We are going to the Earl of Leicester's apartments, ma'am?

Yes, they're yours now.

You like my present? You like his rooms?

- Very much! - Yes.

The Earl of Leicester had excellent taste.

They're expensively furnished.

You like expensive things and you have nothing but debts.

Well, go on. They're yours now.

Everything I have is yours.

Well, let us pretend that it is yours.

It will spice up the act of crossing the threshold.

Oh, you are looking at my ankle, Essex.

Well, Your Majesty has a very well-shaped ankle...

...and a perfect figure.

Yes, well, I have a grateful nation

gnawing at my insides.

- Anne... - Yes, ma'am.

Sit. We must bind up your wounds.

We have no need of you, Dr. Lopez.

Oh, you look like a naughty schoolboy.

Why should you not like that foolish girl?

I can see that you like her.

- No, she's nothing... - Nothing compared to me.

I know.

You're very kind, ma'am.

I could be even kinder.

Your Majesty knows that my love for you...

Is not simply a need for my favor?

How do I know that?

Mmm. Possibly.

You seem sincere enough.

Great things hang on a kiss, Robin,

when princes are involved...

but you'd better kiss me again.

Well, let us hear of your proposed expedition.

It is not precisely

our proposed expedition, Your Majesty.

Lord Burghley, do not distance yourself from my displeasure

until you know that I am displeased.

It may be a very good proposition, for all I know.

Francis...

Portugal is occupied by Spain.

Their exiled King Don Antonio

is therefore, on our side against the Spanish.

Our thought was that before the Spanish recover

from the loss of the Armada, we attempt...

We should attempt to reinstate

our friend Don Antonio on the throne of Portugal...

- Precisely. - Send a military expedition?

Uh...

It may be a sound notion.

If we succeeded, Portugal would be ours

and we would control the Spanish trade routes to the Americas.

Your Majesty is able

to read the minds of her advisers.

Well, that is not so difficult,

especially since you spend all of your time trying to read mine.

You have my approval.

Do not inform the Earl of Essex.

If he hears of it, tell him

he is, under no circumstances to go.

What's it going to be?

Ah, six again!

I swear you are playing with loaded dice, ma'am.

Princes do not cheat at cards.

They simply have the rules altered to suit their needs.

Ooh, you lose too much.

And you, with so little to lose.

We'll play a new game.

Which is?

"Essex's Folly."

I take all the cards

and you have to take them off me.

How?

- By force, if necessary. - Oh.

But not too much force. For you to win

would be... treason.

There is no fun in such a game.

Well, we'll not play it then.

Stand there.

There, like that.

Madam...

I know the hour is early,

but if Your Majesty pleases, we have need of conversation.

Private conversation.

Affairs of state.

My lord.

You wait for Her Majesty?

I wait for my father, my lord.

I hope he pleads my case with the queen.

I cannot believe you have offended her, Sir Robert.

You were always such a good boy.

I was obliged to be, my lord, by my position.

Answer me this...

when I was your father's ward

and we were growing up together in Lord Burghley's house,

- was I? - What, my lord?

It is no matter.

He wishes me to have a seat on the Council.

Well, well, well...

we grow great.

I have worked for it, my lord.

Yes, yes. You have. You have.

Well, Robert, you have your place.

What it must be to have a father.

Thank you. Thank you, Father.

"Happy were he could finish forth his fate

In some unhaunted desert, where, obscure

From all society, from love and hate,

Of worldly folk; Then might he sleep secure;

Then wake again, and ever give God praise..."

What?

How can I read when you look at me like that?

How do I look at you?

As if you were deciding

whether or not to eat me.

What do you wish for from me?

For you to be mistress

of what you wish most.