A United Kingdom

The film is based on the true story of the heir to the throne of Bechuanaland, Seretse Khama of the Bamangwato people, who studied law in London immediately after World War II. There he meets an Englishwoman, Ruth Williams, whom he eventually marries in 1948, despite the protests of both their families and opposition from the British government, which is concerned about relations with South Africa and the stability of the entire region of southern Africa. The National Party government in South Africa fears that the marriage of a black king to a white woman in neighbouring Bechuanaland will inspire unrest, as it was in the process of making such a marriage illegal, and demands that the British government prevents the marriage, as do the governments of South West Africa and Rhodesia.