ELIZABETH I

Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, reunited a nation divided by religious strife, faced down the Spanish Armada and, at the end of her 45-year reign, had become one of England's best-loved monarchs. During her time as queen, poets and playwrights wrote about her, artists painted her, composers dedicated their work to her, all contributing to the legend of Gloriana, the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth I – starring Helen Mirren in the title role – looks beyond the myth at the woman behind the crown.The drama begins in 1579, when the 46-year-old Elizabeth is 15 years into her Protestant reign. Illuminating the grimy, lustful underbelly behind the opulence and formality of the English court, it tells the intimate story of Britain's most famous queen.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.