Despite being an icon of beauty and glamour, Lillie's marriage to Edward is a loveless farce. Even though Edward attempts to improve her surroundings, wardrobe and lifestyle, Lillie's heart has found another. She becomes quite close to "Bertie", the Prince of Wales, eliciting whispers of an illicit affair between the pair. After a brief trip back to Jersey, Lillie entertains the affections of Arthur Jones, a lifelong friend. But Lillie and the Prince can no longer exist apart. She is now his mistress.

Lillie's social success continues despite the brewing public scandal over her illicit affair with Bertie. But a new Prince has arrived, Bertie's nephew Prince Louis of Battenberg. The attraction is mutual and Lillie now finds herself involved with a pair of Princes. When Bertie forbids Louis to marry Lillie, she coldly agrees. But Lillie hatches a plan to afford herself a more comfortable financial position: she will take to the stage, become an actress, and earn enough money to support herself.