AllMovie

Elegantly costumed and well-acted, this tragic story of a wealthy Lithuanian commoner who marries King Zygmunt II of Poland (1520-1572) reveals clashes between kingly duty and personal love. By the time King Zygmunt's wife Elizabeth dies, he has already fallen in love with Barbara Radziwill, a wealthy Lithuanian but not of noble birth. The king marries Barbara, flying in the face of his mother's wishes and those of the Polish parliament -- but his happiness was not destined to last for long. Parallel to his personal love for this Lithuanian woman, Zygmunt II would officially unite Lithuania and Poland as one country during his reign.