Set against some of Britain's most beautiful landscapes, The Virgin Queen explores the full sweep of Elizabeth I's long and eventful life, from the young princess to the successful Queen, who turns England into a major world power.

The drama explores her days of fear as a potential victim of her sister's terror and her great love affair with Robert Dudley. Some of the important political and historical events during her reign are highlighted as she balances personal life with the pressures of being a monarch. Her years of triumph over the Armada, her old age and her last enigmatic relationship with the young Earl of Essex are also captured.