London, 1588. Queen Elizabeth is ruling the country. She is protestant in a country with still a lot of Catholics who are plotting against her. Spain, ruled by king Philip II, is a powerful empire dominating the seas with their Spanish Armada. Elizabeth I, who never married, hires pirate Francis Drake to attack the Spanish ships.
Jack Westbrrok, earl of Essex, is married with Eleanor, It is an arranged marriage to join the fortunes of the families, so he doesn’t love her although she is madly in love with him. They are catholic and live at the court in Whitehall Palace with the queen. Jack Westbrook is in love with Margareth, a beautiful maid who serves at the court and she is pregnant, expecting a bastard son. However, the story begins because he is involved in a plot to help the Spanish defeat Queen Elizabeth, the protestant witch.
Levinia Lane, a famous artist living in Cheapside street, is painting a portrait of the Earls of Essex. As part of the plot, Jack Westbrook hides some important documents about the English fleet inside the painting. Ganon Dudley, a nobleman of Spanish roots and catholic, is living at the court and has to help Catherine Belly, a maid, to steal the painting and take it to Spain. Then, the Spanish armada will defeat the English fleet with the information.
However, Levinia Lane sees Jack hiding the documents and tells about it to Friar Lawrence Howard , a protestant priest faithful to the queen. He advises Lord Henry Avery, a commandant of one of the English ships and the best friend of Lord Raleigh and Francis Drake. They decide to change the documents to give false information to the Spanish. Then, Lord Raleigh advises the Queen about the plot. So, the painting is stolen and taken to Philip II, in Spain.
Meanwhile, Eleanor Westbrook discovers the affair between her husband and Margareth, the maid. She asks Lady Mary Newport, her lady-in-waiting and best friend, to kill Jack with poison. She goes to talk to Lord Henry Avery – who is living at the Arundell’s house- because they have been friends since their childhood. He tells her to kill him because he is a traitor to the queen. Jack dies and Ganon Dudley goes to Spain with the painting and the false documents.
At the end, Ganon Dudley is imprisoned in Spain accused of being a traitor and he is executed. Catherine Belly is discovered and executed in Tower hill, next to the Tower. Levinia Lane becomes the personal painter of the Queen and Friar Lawrence, the personal priest. Eleanor Westbrook is left alone, without a love. Margareth comes back to her village Totnes and has a son. Lord Henry Avery confesses his love to Lady Mary Newport and she decides to go with him to Plymouth, where she will wait until he comes back from the battle. Then, the English fleet commanded by Lord Raleigh defeats the Spanish Armada on 29th July 1588.