Anne-Marie Duff plays Elizabeth, from the young princess to the successful Queen, who turns England into a major world power.

The actress admits she knew very little about England's most iconic Queen before taking on the role: "But I was so excited I can't tell you. It's some chance isn't it, especially as a woman, to get to play that kind of a part. I was completely thrilled. I went off and did tons of research and read everything I could - there are so many stories about her. She was a fantastic, exciting, sexy, vibrant woman."

The drama explores her days of fear as a potential victim of her sister's terror and her great love affair with Robert Dudley.

Some of the important political and historical events during her reign are highlighted as she balances personal life with the pressures of being a monarch.
Her years of triumph over the Armada, her old age and her last enigmatic relationship with the young Earl of Essex are also captured.

Writer Paula Milne reveals: "I decided to look at Elizabeth as a character, a stateswoman and public figure using some contemporary references to see if they held up. "What we have done in this drama which differs from the many portrayals of her in theatre, movies and television before is that we have taken the whole of her life.''

Director Coky Giedroyc adds: ''What I really wanted to do was make a thriller. I wanted to grab people and hit the ground running and pull people into incredible close-ups of Elizabeth and her breathless journey."