Episode #1.1 (22 Apr. 2006)

Approaching middle age, Queen Elizabeth is conscious that she has never produced an heir to continue her line. Her advisers see plots and treachery all around her, most of it centered ... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Hooper

Writer:

Nigel Williams

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Malahide

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Helen Mirren	...	Elizabeth I
Jeremy Irons	...	Earl of Leicester
Patrick Malahide	...	Sir Francis Walsingham
Toby Jones	...	Robert Cecil
Hugh Dancy	...	Earl of Essex
Barbara Flynn	...	Mary Queen of Scots
Ian McDiarmid	...	Lord Burghley
Jérémie Covillault	...	Duke of Anjou
Erick Deshors	...	Jean de Simier
Simon Woods	...	Gifford
Diana Kent	...	Lady Essex
Toby Salaman	...	Dr Lopez
Geoffrey Streatfield	...	Sir Anthony Babington
John McEnery	...	Jesuit Priest
Martin Savage	...	Stubbs

Storyline

Approaching middle age, Queen Elizabeth is conscious that she has never produced an heir to continue her line. Her advisers see plots and treachery all around her, most of it centered around her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. Her advisers have a plan that they believe will secure the British throne and weaken their deadliest enemy, Spain. They propose that she marry the Duke of Anjou, brother to the King of France. This would preclude an alliance between France and Spain and drive a wedge through the Catholic world. She reluctantly agrees, even accepting the advice of the Earl of Leicester, a lover she had at one time banished from her court. The Duke's sudden death leads to the Franco-Spanish alliance they had feared. When the Spanish Armada is defeated England is safe but the Queen suffers a tragic personal loss.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Details

Release Date:

22 April 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Company Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 103 min (DVD)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie Redmayne played different roles in competing Elizabeth movies. In Elizabeth I, he played the traitor Southampton, and in Elizabeth: The Golden Age he played Thomas Babington. In addition, he portrayed William Stafford in The Other Boleyn Girl, a film about Elizabeth I's mother and aunt.

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Goofs

While pondering signing Mary, Queen of Scots' death warrant, Elizabeth says that Mary is her "father's sister's daughter". Historically, Mary was the daughter of James V of Scotland, who was the son of Henry VIII's sister Margaret Tudor. Therefore, Mary was actually Elizabeth's father's sister's granddaughter.

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