17. yy. İngiltere’sinde lüks ve sosyete düşkünü doktor Robert Merivel Kral II. Charles’ın güvenini kazanıp onun yanında kendine bir yer edinir. Kraliçenin şüphelerine önlem olarak ve bir ünvan ile arazi karşılığında Kral ondan metresi Celia ile evlenmesini ister. Ancak kralın yasaklamasına rağmen Celia’ya olan arzusunu yenemeyen Merivel saraydan kovulur. Böylece herşeyini kaybeden doktor, ‘kara veba’nın ele geçirdiği sokaklarda asıl mesleğine geri döner.

A young doctor, Robert Merivel (Robert Downey, Jr.), enters the service of King Charles II of England (Sam Neill) after having saved the King's favorite spaniel. Merivel finds himself enjoying a life of debauched pleasure and popularity at court, until the King informs him that he has arranged for Merivel to wed Celia (Polly Walker), the King's favorite mistress. The purpose of the arranged marriage is to fool another of the King's mistresses. Merivel is given an estate named Bidnold in Suffolk, and Celia is installed in a house in Kew where the king can visit her secretly. Merivel lives a life of debauchery there, but also finds pleasure in restoring the house to its former beauty with the support of Will Gates (Ian McKellen), the man who runs the estate. However, things become complicated when Merivel breaks the King's cardinal rule by falling in love with Celia. Elias Finn (Hugh Grant), a painter commissioned by the King to paint a portrait of Celia, tricks Merivel into revealing his romantic feelings for Celia, who does not return Merivel's affections. After finding out about Merivel's romantic feelings toward Celia, the King banishes him from court back to his life as a physician. (Wikipedia)