Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I

Joseph Fiennes as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester

Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham

Christopher Eccleston as Duke of Norfolk

John Gielgud as The Pope

Richard Attenborough as Sir William Cecil

Fanny Ardant as Mary of Guise

Éric Cantona as Monsieur de Foix

Vincent Cassel as Duc d'Anjou

Kathy Burke as Queen Mary Tudor

Edward Hardwicke as Earl of Arundel

Emily Mortimer as Kat Ashley

James Frain as Alvaro de la Quadra

Kelly Macdonald as Isabel Knollys

Kenny Doughty as Sir Thomas Elyot

Daniel Craig as John Ballard

Alfie Allen as Arundel's Son

Jamie Foreman as Earl of Sussex

Lily Allen as Lady in Waiting

Amanda Ryan as Lettice Howard

Sally Grey as Lady in Waiting

Elika Gibbs as Lady in Waiting

Sarah Owen as Lady in Waiting

Kate Loustau as Lady in Waiting

Daniel Moynihan as First Bishop

Jeremy Hawk as Second Bishop

Daisy Bevan as Arundel's Daughter

Hayley Burroughs as Lady in Waiting

Joe White as Master of the Tower

Matt Andrews as Norfolk's Man

Ben Frain as Young French Man

Lewis Jones as Priest

Michael Beint as Bishop Carlisle

Angus Deayton as Waad, Chancellor of the Eschequer

Joseph O'Conor as Earl of Derby

Brendan O'Hea as Lord William Howard

Edward Highmore as Lord Harewood

James Rowe as Bishop (in Cellar)

Donald Pelmear as Third Bishop

Tim Bevan as Handsome Man

Liz Giles as Female Martyr

Rod Culbertson as Master Ridley

Peter Stockbridge as Palace Chamberlain

Valerie Gale as Mary's Dwarf

George Antoni as King Philip II of Spain

Wayne Sleep as Dance Tutor

Charles Cartmell as Dudley's Man

Edward Purver as Dudley's Man

Vladimir Vega as Vatican Cardinal

Jennifer Lewicki as Arundel's Housemaid

Viviane Horne as Arundel's Wife

Nick Smallman as Walsingham's Man

James Britton as Member of Duc d'Anjou's Group (uncredited)

Jean-Pierre Léaud as (uncredited)

Ben Mars as Royal Guard of Honour (uncredited)

Daniel O'Meara as Henchman (uncredited)

Jocelyn Quivrin as French Guard (uncredited)

Matthew Rhys as (uncredited)

Jason Savin as Courtier (uncredited)

Christian Simpson as Royal Guard (uncredited)

Liam Foley as Norfolk's Man