Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur released a biographical historical drama called Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). During this time, Catholic Spain, under the rule of King Philip II, held immense power in Europe. Despite multiple Catholic plots against Queen Elizabeth’s life in the 1570s, all were ultimately unsuccessful. Pope Sixtus V then turned to King Philip and convinced him to use his formidable naval force for invading and re-Catholicizing England. This plan would result in the overthrow of Elizabeth and give control of England to Philip with the pope’s approval. As part of this plot, Philip plans to have his daughter, Isabella, replace Elizabeth as Queen of England. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth faces pressure from her advisor Francis Walsingham to marry and produce an heir; otherwise, her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots could potentially inherit the throne.

After returning from the New World, English explorer Walter Raleigh is presented at court. Queen Elizabeth is immediately fascinated by his tales of exploration and asks her trusted lady-in-waiting, Bess Throckmorton, to keep an eye on him. Bess herself finds Raleigh alluring and they engage in a clandestine affair. As tensions escalate between England and Spain, Queen Elizabeth seeks counsel from her astrologer, Dr. John Dee. Unfortunately, Jesuits in London are plotting with Philip of Spain to overthrow Elizabeth and install Mary of Scots as ruler. This plot, known as ‘The English Enterprise’, was later famously known as the Babington Plot. From her imprisonment, Mary secretly communicates with the Jesuits who then recruit Anthony Babington to carry out the assassination of Elizabeth.