▁end uring ▁' re lic s ' ▁of ▁the ▁past . ▁The ▁episode ▁revol ves ▁mainly ▁around ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁Robert ▁De vere ux ▁as ▁her ▁court ▁favour ite , ▁and ▁the ▁mach in ations ▁for ▁his ▁adv ancement ▁by ▁his ▁mother ▁L ett ice ▁Kn olly s , ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁former ▁hand ma iden . ▁The ▁en m ity ▁between ▁Elizabeth ▁and ▁L ett ice ▁is ▁also ▁emphas ised , ▁and ▁the ▁plot ▁devi ates ▁from ▁established ▁history ▁by ▁showing ▁that ▁Elizabeth ▁eventually ▁did ▁meet ▁with ▁L ett ice ▁before ▁her ▁death , ▁al beit ▁briefly ▁and ▁without ▁ex ch anging ▁words . ▁ ▁De vere ux ▁is ▁held ▁as ▁a ▁pa wn ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁women , ▁his ▁love ▁for ▁Elizabeth ▁on ▁one ▁side , ▁his ▁dev otion ▁to ▁his ▁mother ▁on ▁the ▁other , ▁the ▁pressure ▁of ▁which ▁causes ▁him ▁great ▁tur mo il , ▁border ing ▁on ▁mental ▁inst ability , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁his ▁attempt ▁at ▁re bell ion ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁episode . ▁One ▁ha un ting ▁scene ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁shows ▁De vere ux ▁walking ▁in ▁on ▁a ▁half - d ress ed ▁Elizabeth , ▁and ▁his ▁shock ▁when ▁he ▁sees ▁the ▁Queen ▁as ▁decre pit ▁and ▁old , ▁without ▁her ▁w ig ▁or ▁make ▁up . ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁is ▁the ▁one ▁remaining ▁re lic ▁of ▁the ▁England ▁she ▁once ▁knew , ▁most ▁of ▁her ▁friends ▁and ▁trust ed ▁advis ors ▁having ▁been ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁next ▁generation .