King Richard the Lionhearted launches a crusade to preserve Christianity in Jerusalem.

When the Saracens take Jerusalem in 1187 A.D. and kill or enslave the Christian population, a holy hermit journeys to all the Christian kingdoms to preach a crusade to retake Jerusalem. King Richard of England, lusty and godless, joins the crusade only to avoid marriage to the disagreeable Alice, sister of King Philip of France. While Richard's brother John and France's Marquis of Montferrat conspire to control England and Palestine, Richard is forced to marry Berengaria, Princess of Navarre, to obtain food from her father to feed his starving army. Richard's rough manner and his use of a proxy in the wedding ceremony alienate Berengaria, but when Richard finally sees his bride, he forces her to accompany him to Palestine. During the long battle to take the city of Acre, John seizes Richard's throne, and Philip of France threatens to support John and leave the crusade unless Richard casts Berengaria aside and marries Alice. Richard's refusal to give Berengaria up overcomes her resistance to him, but the two agree not to consummate their marriage until Jerusalem is taken. Realizing that she is the obstacle to a unified war effort, Berengaria tries to commit suicide by exposing herself to enemy fire, but she is only wounded before Saladin, leader of the Islam forces, takes her away and nurses her to health. Spurred on by Berengaria's capture and the martyrdom of the holy hermit, the Christian armies take Acre and ride on to Jerusalem, where their forces are depleted in heavy fighting. Berengaria agrees to give herself to Saladin if he will save Richard from the treachery of Montferrat, and she plans to keep this promise even after Richard negotiates a peace with Saladin that frees the Christian captives in Jerusalem and opens the city to Christians. Saladin, however, realizes that Berengaria will always love Richard, who has finally come to God, and she is released to join her husband.