The Plot
Act 1
Disappointed in life Jean comes to a park thinking of committing suicide. An officer of the secret police intervenes and suggests Jean a 10 000 worth of a risky plan to pretend as the King’s double. Jean accepts the offer.
In the King’s mansion the officer of the secret police meets with the Prime Minister and informs him that he had found a suitable double for the King thus introducing Jean. Jean learns that the proposal consists of his going to the city opera instead of the King, where an assault on his Highness will occur. The assault is organized by the supporters of Carolus IV who is a pretender to the Throne.
The lieutenant of the guards’ battalion – Kajetan Vagaridan – appears in the Prime Minister’s office. Jean, pretending to be King, promotes him to a Major and then to a General.
An ardent mistress of the King, an opera diva Carmenchilla, also arrives. She invites the King (Jean) to see the opera “Carmen”.
Jean realizes that during the assault he will probably be killed, so he tries to withdraw from the risky contract. Trying to convince Jean the Prime Minister clutches to the last argument – he demonstrates the young man the tape record of the Queen. Jean is spellbound and hoping to get acquainted with a beautiful woman, agrees to go to the opera and attend the reception.
The King’s court is getting ready for the celebration. Beatrice, who is the Prime Minister’s mistress and Kajetan Vagaridan’s fiancée, declares to everyone that the “King” has promoted Kajetan up to a General. She and the Prime Minister stay alone. Beatrice explains that she has promised Kajetan to become his wife once he gets promoted. Their meeting is interrupted by the real King. The Prime Minister thinks that it is Jean and behaves himself rather familiarly. Angry King lowers poor Kajetan’s rank again and calms down only when he learns that his double was found.
There is turmoil in the Queen’s suite. She is disappointed with the King; she is ill and refuses to go to the opera. The court doctor is not capable to help her. The Prime Minister takes the initiative to alter the Queen’s plans and it seems that he succeeds.
The Queen and her suite are prepared for the reception, where Jean appears already dressed as the King. He speaks and behaves like a real king. Everyone leaves for the dangerous opera performance.
Act 2
Conspirators are gathered in the opera house nearby the King’s loge, planning the attempt on the King. Suddenly they are joined by the officer of the secret police and it becomes unclear whether these people are trying to overturn the government or protect it. Jean, the Queen, Prime Minister, Beatrice, and Kajetan, who is already spruced up in a Marshal’s uniform, enter the King’s loge. Jean is haunted by the guns, he wants to run away, but his thoughts about the Queen stop him.
Jean and the Queen have a romantic conversation in the loge and afterwards our hero realizes that he is hopelessly in love. These feelings empower Jean to make a stand against the Prime Minister. He refuses to go to the fake meeting of the State Board and stays alone with the Queen.
A dinner for two is prepared in the hall next to the Queen’s chambers. Jean and the Queen appear.
Through the windows they hear the crowd outside glorifying the royal family. Jean goes out to the balcony and the people see a totally different “king”.
While Jean is having dinner with the Queen, the real King is jealous, he wants to dispose of the double as soon as possible. He also resolves to split up with the mistress Carmenchilla. He declares to the Prime Minister that he is in love with the Queen and enters her chambers.
Jean enters looking like the King from a different room. The Prime Minister offers him to take the reward for the assignment immediately and leave. Jean cannot disguise his disappointment and leaves.
The temperamental Carmenchilla appears. The news that the King has returned into the arms of the Queen enrages her and she joins the riotous crowd. Carmenchilla announces that Jean has ordered to open all the prisons and the released Republicans are starting a real revolution. The Prime Minister and Carmenchilla prepare to emigrate.
Jean appears in the chambers. He takes his reward and agrees to leave the royal mansion with a fellow-traveler proposed to him by the Prime Minister… Although, who might he be? …