Copenhagen in 1770: The oldest kingdom in the world is subject to a power struggle that keeps all of Europe in a state of alert. Its protagonists are King Christian, by far too young and mentally disturbed, sweet Queen Caroline Mathilde and Johann Friedrich Struensee, personal physician to the king. The latter uses his influences on the monarch to become the civil leader of Denmark - much to the animosity of the entire court. The rationalist is far ahead of his time and ultimately his own eagerness to bring about reforms will be his own demise. After two years in power, his success story comes to an end at the gallows. The film revives the historic facts of the Struensee affair at the original locations in Denmark, England and Germany, featuring interviews with international experts, augmented by original documents that have long been kept secret. The scandal that raised much attention in all of Europe at the time is thus brought back to life.