A fictional portrait of the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit the throne chronicles the troubled and turbulent life of Juana of Castile, daughter of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, as she becomes caught up in the struggle for control of the throne of Spain.
Leaving her native Florence to marry Henry II of France, Catherine de Medici embarks on an unanticipated destiny of religious warfare, thwarted leadership, and psychologically charged royal machinations.