In 1572, young queen Marguerite de Valois is driven by her mother Catherine de Médicis to marry Henri de Navarre, a Protestant leader, so as to appease the tensions between Catholics and Huguenots. But the marriage of convenience proves a double failure because not only are the newlyweds ill-matched sexually but a horrible killing spree (the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre) ensues as well.
