At the time Portugal presented a strange spectacle to the rest of Europe. D. Afonso VI, son of the fortunate D. João de Bragança, was in possession of the throne and was an insane imbecile. His wife, daughter of the Duke of Nemours and cousin of Louis XIV, dared hatch a plot to oust her husband from the throne. The king's stupidity justified the queen's bravado. Despite being master of unusual strength and having slept with his wife for a long time, she accused him of being impotent. Marie Françoise had acquired through artfulness what Afonso had lost in anger in the kingdom. She had him imprisoned ( November 1667 ) and quickly obtained a papal bull from Rome to confirm her virginity and bless her marriage to her brother-in-law Pedro. Portugal's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990.
as D. Afonso VI
as D. Maria Francisca de Saboia
as D. Pedro, Infante de Portugal
as Marquis of Sande
as Nun in Convent
as Doctor Martim dos Reis
as Joana de Almeida
as Escrivão
as Josefa de Óbidos
as Duque de Cadaval
as Count of Castelo-Melhor
as Preyssac, Enviado de Luis XIV
as Ninon
as Father Antonio Vieira
as Father Ville, Queen's Confidant
as Ambassador Saint-Romain
as Messenger
as Pao
as Coscorao
as Sebastiao Dinis Velho
as Domingas Rodrigues
as Preyssac's Secretary
as Catarina Arrães de Mendonça
as Freira no Convento