King Leontes of Sicily and old friend King Polixenes of Bohemia are celebrating tonight after an astounding series of co-incidences and marvels brought the Sicilian ruler's daughter, thought dead, back to him. And long lost Perdita had a family addition of her own - she's engaged to be married to Polixene's son Florizel!

The young lovers had fled together, after Florizel's dad forbade their marriage, believing Perdita to be a low class shepherd girl. But now he knows the lowly lass is actually the heir to Leontes' thone he's more than happy to see the two hitched.

The unlikely saga began sixteen years ago, when Leontes had a sudden mad attack of jealousy during a visit by Polixenes. Despite everyone's protests, he accused his queen, Hermione, of having an affair with Polixenes, forcing the Bohemian King to flee.

Then, after his poor wife gave birth in a prison cell, he rejected his baby daughter as a bastard. Cruelly, Leontes forced faithful servant Antigonus to take the baby away and abandon her.

The shock of this, and the death of her son, was too much for Hermoine, who collapsed while defending herself in court.