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