What is Becoming Elizabeth about?

You may have heard Becoming Elizabeth mentioned as a Droughtlander suggestion. Before you jump into a new show, you’ll want to know what it is about.

While we wait for new episodes of Outlander, we start looking for other shows to check out. STARZ has us covered with a lot of great period dramas, and Becoming Elizabeth is the newest on the list.

This is going to be something for a lot of Outlander fans to check out during the break. What exactly is it going to be about? Which Elizabeth does it cover, and at what stage of life is it focused on?

Becoming Elizabeth synopsis

Becoming Elizabeth focuses on Queen Elizabeth I of England. This is before she becomes queen, which is the usual time period a drama will focus on. Instead, we’re taken back to just after Henry VIII’s death, as Edward VI takes the throne.

England is in the middle of uncertainty. There are those who do want to see Edward as king. After all, he’s a man, which means he is more suitable to reign than the women—that was the opinion of the time, especially considering both Mary and Elizabeth had been deemed illegitimate due to annulments.

However, there are Catholics who want to see Mary on the throne. Elizabeth, a Protestant, finds herself trapped in the middle of her half-siblings. Then there are those who are willing to use Elizabeth as a figurehead, which makes Mary worried. We know Elizabeth had a difficult life in her early years. It wasn’t until she was on the throne that she had a chance to breathe just a little, and this series focuses on those years leading to her wearing the crown.

Becoming Elizabeth airs on Sundays on STARZ.