Part 1 recalls Elizabeth Tudor's difficult childhood as the daughter of Henry VIII and her rise to the throne of England against great odds. She was sexually abused by her stepfather and imprisoned by her half sister, Queen Mary I.
Part 2 follows the obstacles faced by the newly crowned Elizabeth: she was a woman in a court of men; a protestant queen in a catholic country; and, most importantly, she was reluctant to marry, claiming that she was wed to England.
Part 3 recalls Elizabeth's "finest hour," as she confronts war with Spain in 1588 and her navy defeats the Spanish Armada. Also: the growing threat of Mary Queen of Scots, who many wanted to be queen to restore Catholicism.
Conclusion. It's the golden age of Elizabethan England: Elizabeth is at her zenith of popularity; Shakespeare is writing his first plays; and younger men are taking over the leadership of the court. Also: the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots; Elizabeth's death in 1603.