The story is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, except it is moved into a New York winter in 1929.
The play starts with the exile of the Peter, Duke of Auferland, after he is framed for treason. He makes his way to New York. Shortly after he leaves, the King has another son, Frederick, and he becomes his heir:
Meanwhile, Peter first starts working as a racecourse "bookie" and makes enough money to buy an upmarket hotel in Manhattan. His daughter, Emily is the apple of his eye.
Many years later, in deep mid winter, Alfred, King of Auferland and his entourage visit New York to attend an important conference. They arrive in a snowstorm and rapidly get lost:
The entourage split up in the blizzard, and Prince Frederick manages to make his way to the hotel - where he meet the owner's daughter and instantly falls in love with her:
Meanwhile, out in the storm, two members of the entourage, Stephanie, the maid, and Tom, the court jester, believe that with everyone dead from the cold, Stephanie must be the new Queen and celebrate her good luck:
