King George V dies in 1936, and in an unprecedented event, his successor King Edward abdicates the throne—throwing the monarchy into chaos. Edward shocks the people of England by choosing to marry the American divorcee/socialite Wallis Simpson and turning his back on the British empire.

The shy, stuttering King George VI faces numerous challenges once he takes the throne in 1937: an unstable monarchy, war against Germany, and even his own brother Edward after his shocking abdication. When George VI unexpectedly passes, Princess Elizabeth is thrust into her new role as Queen at the young age of 25.

Queen Elizabeth II inherits the throne and faces scandals and rumors involving her sister, her marriage, and even her way of leading. The Queen must forge her own path, walking a tightrope between old tradition and those, like her husband, who want to modernize the monarchy.