Political intrigue, strong women, weak men, and countless conspiracies fuel this beautifully staged--though not completely accurate--historical drama about the life of "Fiery" Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (Vanessa Redgrave). In the wake of the Protestant Reformation, Mary Stuart becomes enmeshed in a labyrinthine power struggle to determine the fate of the British throne. Heads roll and dynasties crumble when Mary, her unctuous husband Lord Darnley (Timothy Dalton), her jealous half-brother James Stuart (McGoohan), Scotland's rebellious nobility, the Church of England, the Pope, and England's "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I (Glenda Jackson) all vie for control of the crown.