After his beloved wife's death, Edward III, now a tired, old man, becomes dependent upon his greedy mistress, Alice Perrers. Worse yet, the Black Prince has also passed away, leaving his 10-year-old son Richard of Bordeaux as heir to the throne. But Richard shows some early promise in the face of the ambitious scheming of uncles and a peasant's revolt. He finds love with Anne of Bohemia (and later Isabella of France), but his extravagance, megalomania, inattention to his duties as King, and indulgence of his favorites lead to his ultimate undoing.