Desperate for a male heir, Henry seeks an annulment from his wife. The pope objects.

Infatuated by the beautiful Anne Boleyn and desperate for a male heir, King Henry VIII seeks an annulment from his Spanish wife, Katherine of Aragon. When the pope objects, Henry breaks from the Catholic Church and banishes Katherine, leaving her powerless. Their daughter, Mary, is declared a bastard. Henry marries Anne, who gives birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, and thereafter suffers several miscarriages. Anne, falsely accused, is convicted of adultery and condemned to death. Henry, now besotted with Jane Seymour, offers Anne the option of an annulment. If she accepts, Elizabeth will be labeled illegitimate. Anne would rather die than allow this to happen.