 In a desperate attempt to deny Michael the excuse to claim the throne, Colonel Sapt and Fritz von Tarlenheim, attendants of the king, persuade his distant cousin Rudolf Rassendyll, an English visitor, to impersonate the king for the coronation.Rassendyll falls in love with Princess Flavia, the king's betrothed, but cannot tell her the truth.He determines to rescue the king and leads an attempt to enter the castle of Zenda.