It is Christmas time and King Henry II of England and his family is gathering to decide which son gets to inherit the throne. Henry promises the kingship to his favorite son, Johnny. Eleanor, Henry’s captive wife and Queen of England, wants Richard, her favorite, to be king. Geoffrey, the middle son, is left with nothing but a promise to be Johnny’s chancellor when he becomes king.

King Phillip of France has promised Henry’s lover, Alais, to Richard’s hand in marriage for a large dowry. She wants nobody but Henry, yet Henry has decided to give her over to Johnny when he becomes king. King Phillip arrives, and refuses anyone but Richard to receive Alais.

After much deliberation, Henry promises to give Richard the throne to ensure that England remains the strong empire he has created. Johnny is infuriated. Geoffrey promises Eleanor that he will be Richard’s faithful chancellor. Eleanor agrees.

Eleanor assures Richard that he will be king, but she can only see that it happens if he will give her the Aquataine. He trusts her and hands it over.

Geoffrey, frustrated at his parents lack of compassion for him, secretly unites with Phillip to make himself king. Under the guise of helping Johnny, Geoffrey and Phillip unite with him to create a war against Richard and Eleanor.

Eleanor tells Henry that she couldn’t get the Aquataine for Johnny. Henry promises Eleanor her freedom for the Aquataine. She agrees only if the wedding between Richard and Alais takes place immediately. Moments before the wedding, Richard discovers that Eleanor plans to give the Aquataine to Johnny, so refuses to wed Alais.

Henry returns the kingship to Johnny, and the angry Richard threatens Henry with his army. To prevent such an attack, Henry holds all three sons and Eleanor captive in his castle. Eleanor has lost all hope of winning; she grieves over the fact that she will no doubt be held captive for another year. She suddenly regains hope after discovering that Johnny has raged war against his own father and thus himself.

Richard seeks Phillip’s help to provide an army for his war, but the business is soon put aside when the love rekindles from their past as lovers. They move toward the bed just as Henry knocks at the door. Richard hides.

Henry enters and threatens to take France from Phillip. Phillip threatens with Henry’s age; once Henry is gone, he’ll just take back his land and the rest of England as well. To break Henry down, Phillip admits the truth of Richard’s homosexuality: "How stands the crown on sodomy?" Phillip confesses he once told Richard he loved him just so he could tell Henry later. He states that he never loved Richard. Richard storms out in pain.

Henry has lost all hope for Richard, and he soon discovers that Johnny has raged a war against him. Henry is hurt that his favorite son could not trust him. John thrashes out at Henry, and Geoffrey uses the betrayals of the other sons for is own benefit, saying that he is all Henry has.

Henry disowns all three sons. None will be king. Henry confides in Eleanor that Richard was the best, but Eleanor ruined him by cradling him all his life. Eleanor has given up once again. She finally promises to give Henry whatever he wants. She wants nothing in return. All he wants is a new wife, so he can have a good son. He says he will depart to Rome to receive an annulment from the Pope. Eleanor threatens that the boys will band against him if he leaves, so he locks them all up.

Henry asks for Alais’ hand in marriage. She accepts but warns Henry he must keep his sons locked up forever, for her sake and her child’s. Henry agrees.

Eleanor smuggles daggers to the locked-up boys so that they may escape in safety. The boys decide instead to stay and assassinate their father when he comes to see them. Eleanor threatens to warn him, but Geoffrey says that either way, her sons will die or her husband.

Henry arrives and discovers the sons’ plan. They cannot kill him, though. Henry sentences his boys to death. He raises his sword to strike but cannot.

Christmas ends. Eleanor will be held captive another year. The sons are all throne-less. And Henry has no successor. Everyone is right where they began. They must await another year for another Christmas to plot and plan again.

No changes were made in homosexual content.