The throes of glory

At the end of the twelfth and in the first half of the thirteenth century, the Kingdom of Bohemia finds itself on the brink of ruin. At this time, Ottokar I of Bohemia takes power to consolidate conditions in the state and win an honourable place in Europe for his nation. At his side stands his ambitious wife, Constance of Hungary, who must fight hard for her place in the sun. In Ottokar's repudiated and ageing first wife, Adela, who is unwilling to give up her problematic claim to the position of first lady in the Kingdom of Bohemia, she has a formidable rival. With the help of the Meissen brothers and the ruthless rivalry of the Holy Roman anti-kings, Adela constantly stirs up disputes. Although fate eventually smiles upon Constance and Ottokar I, who gains the most valuable prize from the turbulent waves of power struggles – the Golden Bull of Sicily – their power and glory bring them more torment than joy…