Mary Queen of Scots spends her childhood in France and is meant
to become also Queen of France. However, her ailing husband dies
and the young widow returns alone to Scotland, a country devastated
by war. Elizabeth has just become Queen of England, for Mary she is
like a twin sister to whom she can open her heart. Mary weds again
and gives birth to an heir to the thrown. Her second husband, Lord
Darnley, proves to be a weakling. When Mary finds the love of her
life, the Earl of Bothwell, she has Darnley murdered and marries
Bothwell.
Horrified by this deed and the blind passion that
motivated it, both the nobles and the people of Scotland spurn her.
To avert a bloody battle, Mary is compelled to give up her beloved
Bothwell. In desperate straits, she turns to Elizabeth for help. In
response, the Queen of England imprisons her. After 19 years spent
in a golden cage, Mary finds release at last: Elizabeth sends her
to the block.