In sixteenth century England, Lady Jane Grey (Helena Bonham Carter) is forced to marry Lord Guilford (Cary Elwes), son of John Dudley (John Wood), Duke of Northumberland, who is almost as powerful as the King. When King Henry VIII dies, his under-age son and heir, Edward VI (Warren Saire) is dying of tuberculosis but John Dudley manages to get him kept alive until he names Lady Jane as the heir to the throne. John Dudley wanted to keep Henry’s daughter, Mary (Jane Lapotaire), from the throne so the Reformation will continue. Lady Jane takes the throne when Edward dies but questions her own right to it. She and her husband, who have grown to love each other, decide to continue the reformation but they are imprisoned when the royal council decides to back Henry’s Catholic daughter, Mary. The political climate gets very heated as Jane and her family struggle for power against Mary and her followers.