This text was copied with same orphography from booklet which was included in official DVD.
STORY
In 16th century England, there was a princess who was later to become a monarch and to establish an era called "the Golden Age". Her name was Bess — Lady Elizabeth.
In 1553, with her ascension to the throne, Mary Tudor, Bess’s older half-sister, sets out to restore Catholicism in England. Their father, King Henry VIII, was initially a Catholic, but his attempts to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, his first wife and Mary’s mother, led to disagreement with the Pope of Rome. Consequently, Henry proclaimed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England and became a Protestant, breaking with the Catholic Church. As a devout Catholic, Mary has been trying to bring Catholicism back to her country.
Many are not pleased with Mary’s ascension to the throne. Along with the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the opposition towards Mary is one of the flashpoints that can provoke unrest in the country. The anti-Mary faction thinks that Lady Elizabeth is the right person to be the Queen of England.
Bishop Stephen Gardiner has been waiting for a chance to get rid of Bess, who could be a threat to Queen Mary, and also Catholicism. One day, accompanied by soldiers, Gardiner marches into Bess’s residence, using small commotion happened in the street as a pretext. Indignant at disrespectful behavior of Gardiner, who does not treat her as a princess, Bess goes after him by carriage to get back a keepsake of her father that Gardiner has taken away with him, but on her way, a wheel of her carriage goes wrong, causing her to give up the chase.
Bess then meets Robin Blake, a poet and songwriter -- a free-spirited young man who lives an unfettered life. She feels attracted to Robin, who shows no hesitation and is able to be himself even when facing princess.
Bess’s mother Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, who was executed for infidelity when Bess was two years old. No matter what the truth was, it was an era when a woman did not give birth to a son, she could be eliminated. Being so young when her mother died, Bess has very little memory of her. She considers her mother to be "an unscrupulous woman who betrayed her father and was executed for adultery". Visions of her mother and the headsman who beheaded her have nene tormenting her, as those visions come flashing into her mind over and over again.
Meanwhile, Bess had reliable allies on her side. Roger Ascham, who has provided her with a broad range of academic knowledge, and Kat Ashley, her governess since her early childhood, are her teachers, friends, and also father-like and mother-like figures to her. Ascham reads the movements of stars and predicts that Bess is destined to be the queen of England, and what is more, he tells her that she is an outstanding person who would surpass her father, Henry VIII. Bess does not take his words seriously, saying he is "giving her too much credit", but she tells him that if she can be queen, she will build a society that guarantees "freedom of religion".
Once people learn that Queen Mary intends to proceed with her marriage to Prince Philip of Spain, with the support of Spanish Ambassador Simon Renard, anti-Mary sentiment among the people gets more and more intense. Those who wish to put Bess to the throne rise in revolt, which is, however, suppressed in spite of their resistance. Bess has nothing to do with the rebellious attempt, but Gardiner takes this opportunity to apprehend her and sends her to the Tower of London. In the darkness of the Tower of London, she suffers from nightmares. While she is held in jail on a false accusation, she identifies herself with the vision of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and realizes that her mother was also falsely accused.
Prince Philip of Spain, arrives in England for his wedding with Queen Mary. This sharp-witted young man, being aware of the will of the people in England, asks Mary to set Lady Bess free. Gardiner, who has been close to succeeding in eliminating Elizabeth officially, asks her to come to an inn located in the suburbs of London to take final measures...
Many are not pleased with Mary’s ascension to the throne. Along with the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the opposition towards Mary is one of the flashpoints that can provoke unrest in the country. The anti-Mary faction thinks that Lady Elizabeth is the right person to be the Queen of England.
Bishop Stephen Gardiner has been waiting for a chance to get rid of Bess, who could be a threat to Queen Mary, and also Catholicism. One day, accompanied by soldiers, Gardiner marches into Bess’s residence, using small commotion happened in the street as a pretext. Indignant at disrespectful behavior of Gardiner, who does not treat her as a princess, Bess goes after him by carriage to get back a keepsake of her father that Gardiner has taken away with him, but on her way, a wheel of her carriage goes wrong, causing her to give up the chase.
Bess then meets Robin Blake, a poet and songwriter -- a free-spirited young man who lives an unfettered life. She feels attracted to Robin, who shows no hesitation and is able to be himself even when facing princess.
Bess’s mother Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife, who was executed for infidelity when Bess was two years old. No matter what the truth was, it was an era when a woman did not give birth to a son, she could be eliminated. Being so young when her mother died, Bess has very little memory of her. She considers her mother to be "an unscrupulous woman who betrayed her father and was executed for adultery". Visions of her mother and the headsman who beheaded her have nene tormenting her, as those visions come flashing into her mind over and over again.
Meanwhile, Bess had reliable allies on her side. Roger Ascham, who has provided her with a broad range of academic knowledge, and Kat Ashley, her governess since her early childhood, are her teachers, friends, and also father-like and mother-like figures to her. Ascham reads the movements of stars and predicts that Bess is destined to be the queen of England, and what is more, he tells her that she is an outstanding person who would surpass her father, Henry VIII. Bess does not take his words seriously, saying he is "giving her too much credit", but she tells him that if she can be queen, she will build a society that guarantees "freedom of religion".
Once people learn that Queen Mary intends to proceed with her marriage to Prince Philip of Spain, with the support of Spanish Ambassador Simon Renard, anti-Mary sentiment among the people gets more and more intense. Those who wish to put Bess to the throne rise in revolt, which is, however, suppressed in spite of their resistance. Bess has nothing to do with the rebellious attempt, but Gardiner takes this opportunity to apprehend her and sends her to the Tower of London. In the darkness of the Tower of London, she suffers from nightmares. While she is held in jail on a false accusation, she identifies herself with the vision of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and realizes that her mother was also falsely accused.
Prince Philip of Spain, arrives in England for his wedding with Queen Mary. This sharp-witted young man, being aware of the will of the people in England, asks Mary to set Lady Bess free. Gardiner, who has been close to succeeding in eliminating Elizabeth officially, asks her to come to an inn located in the suburbs of London to take final measures...