Raised as a boy, and referring to herself as a gentleman, Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo) parades around her ship in men’s boots and kisses one of the ladies in waiting. The difference for this odd woman is that she is queen of her country. She is waiting, it seems, for the right man to appear and sweep her away from the royal trappings. Antonio (John Gilbert), the Spanish envoy, seems to be the man for the job. Travelling as a man, she ends up sharing a room with Antonio, and their relationship develops. She falls in love with him and jeopardizes her mission as queen of her people. Yet, this Queen Christina is an intellectual, an adventurer, and ahead of her time. The question is whether her feelings as a woman will overcome her sense of duty and responsibility to the country she governs.