England, 1558. Young, passionate Elizabeth Tudor (Academy Award® – winner Cate Blanchett*) comes to the throne amidst bloody turmoil. Among her courtiers are the venerable Sir William Cecil (Academy Award® – winner Richard Attenborough**), her lover the Earl of Leicester (Joseph Fiennes), the imperious Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston), and her advisor Walsingham (Academy Award® – winner Geoffrey Rush*). She must learn to weigh her counsel carefully and ignore her private yearnings if she is to keep her crown – and her head. This Academy-Award winning portrayal tells the dramatic story of Elizabeth I, from her days as an innocent young woman to her coronation and the formation of her reputation as England’s formidable ”Virgin Queen”.