The King of Illyris marries a neighboring princess, who finds out he has a mistress.

King Christian of Illyria, a small and decadent empire, spends all his time with his voluptuous mistress, Sephora, on the days immediately preceding his marriage to Princess Frederika, a beautiful and highly spiritual young noblewoman. Prince Alexei, the king's cousin, entertains Frederika, and the two become greatly attracted to each other. After the royal marriage, a child is born to the queen, but the king is interested only in a new mistress, with whom he openly rides in the streets. The populace becomes discontented, a revolution breaks out, and the king abdicates, escaping with his wife and child to Paris, where they finally come to love each other. Alexei works for the king's reinstatement, but the closeness between Frederika and the prince provokes the king to jealousy, and he turns to rowdy companions for solace. The king later secures the throne for Alexei, who then plots to poison him. Frederika learns of the plot and finds her husband just in time to save his life. Alexei ascends the unhappy throne of Illyria, while the former king and his family live in happy exile in Paris.—AFI