In the Europe of the 1800s, Denmark, England, and Russia speedily arranged marriages, births, and cunning strategies bring King Christian IX, Queen Victoria and Tsar Alexander II to the throne.

The Danish King Christian IX's oldest son, Frederik VIII, marries the Swedish King's only child, Lovisa. She is not pretty but she is rich.

In 1863, the Danish King Christian IX's eldest daughter, Alexandra, marries the English heir to the throne, Edward VII who has a taste for the high life and the company of other women.

The Danish King Christian IX's 17 year-old son, Wilhelm, is proclaimed King of Greece and soon after anointed as George I.

The Danish King Christian IX's youngest daughter, Thyra, marries the ex-Crown Prince from the German principality of Hanover and they take up residence in Austria.