During the reign of Elizabeth I, a young man's fervent devotion to the crown and to his sweetheart, a lady-in-waiting, lead him to battle for England's victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588.

1587. Tensions have existed between England and Spain, headed by Queen Elizabeth and King Philip, respectively, for thirty years, Elizabeth who has managed to calm the nerves for that time so as not to be officially at war. The tensions themselves are already causing issues for friends across nationalistic lines, such as between Sir Richard Ingolby of England and Don Miguel of Spain, who have to remain loyal to their country and monarch. The tensions are nearing a breaking point, as Philip's envoy relays to the Queen his displeasure of people like Sir Francis Drake and the conflicts arising at sea over gold coming from the new world. Deaths at the hands of the other side lead to greater loyalty to their monarch. As such, Sir Richard's son, Michael Ingolby, against the wishes of his unofficial betrothed, Cynthia, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, offers his service of an undercover mission to Spain to uncover the details behind what they believe to be an assassination attempt on the Queen by the Spanish, and details of the impending Spanish Armada.—Huggo

Queen Elizabeth I (Dame Flora Robson) is running this show. The men in her court should be thinking about how to add to the glory of the Elizabethan Age and how to foil those pesky Spanish who have far too much influence in England when her older sister Mary was on the throne, after their father Henry VIII was succeeded by their sickly half-brother. Elizabeth thinks Michael Ingolby (Sir Laurence Olivier) can do great things. Michael is mostly thinking about one of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting, Cynthia (Vivien Leigh). Soon his mind is on survival when Elizabeth sends him on a voyage to Spain.—Dale O'Connor <[email protected]>

In 1588, relations between Spain and England are at the breaking point. British sea raiders regularly capture Spanish merchantmen bringing gold from the New World with the support of Queen Elizabeth I (Dame Flora Robson). After a plot to depose her is discovered, she enlists Michael Ingolby (Sir Laurence Olivier), whose father was killed by the Spanish Inquisition, to go undercover and infiltrate the court of Philip of Spain (Raymond Massey). Masquerading as one of the traitors, Ingolby finds the names of British subjects in Spanish pay. He identifies the would-be assassins and discovers their plans to send the Armada against England. His feats earn Ingolby the love of a Spanish noblewoman, an English courtesan, and Queen Elizabeth I as he takes the British fleet into battle. At the climax, he leads a night attack on the Armada ships massed off of the coast of England.—Fiona Kelleghan <[email protected]>