, ▁ 1 st ▁Earl ▁of ▁Le ic ester ▁( Tom ▁Hard y ), ▁that ▁she ▁wishes ▁to ▁never ▁marry . ▁Her ▁relationship ▁with ▁D ud ley , ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁master ▁of ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁horses , ▁sp ans ▁the ▁four - part ▁series ▁and ▁calls ▁into ▁question ▁the ▁ambigu ous ▁nature ▁of ▁their ▁relations . ▁The ▁series ▁features ▁a ▁scene ▁where ▁a ▁dream ing ▁Elizabeth ▁fant as izes ▁about ▁making ▁love ▁to ▁D ud ley . ▁When ▁his ▁wife ▁Amy ▁( Em ilia ▁Fox ) ▁dies ▁under ▁susp icious ▁circumstances , ▁D ud ley ▁propos es ▁to ▁the ▁Queen ▁and ▁is ▁rejected . ▁Upon ▁his ▁death , ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁aff e ctions ▁turn ▁to ▁D ud ley ' s ▁step - son ▁Robert ▁De vere ux , ▁ 2 nd ▁Earl ▁of ▁W esse x . ▁However , ▁when ▁he ▁is ▁caught ▁making ▁plans ▁for ▁a ▁coup , ▁she ▁has ▁him ▁executed . ▁ ▁As ▁queen , ▁Elizabeth ▁is ▁met icul ous ▁in ▁construct ing ▁her ▁public ▁image . ▁Sc rut in izing ▁every ▁detail , ▁she ▁micro - man ages ▁everything ▁from ▁her ▁appearance ▁to ▁her ▁attitude . ▁Altern ately ▁ch aste ▁and ▁fl irt ati ous , ▁she ▁never theless ▁es ch ew s ▁love ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁England . ▁History ▁and ▁politics ▁are ▁inter tw ined ▁throughout ▁the ▁series , ▁from ▁England ' s ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Arm ada ▁to ▁the ▁change ▁from ▁a ▁Catholic ▁to ▁a ▁Protest ant ▁nation , ▁Elizabeth ▁uses ▁her