A 1930s British summer Bank Holiday starts at midday on Saturday with a rush for the trains to the seaside. Doreen and Milly are off to a beauty contest, Geoffrey and Catherine are having an illicit weekend in the Grand Hotel and May and the kids are set for a more straightforward holiday of sea, sand, and pub. Meanwhile, the manager and performers on the pier are praying for rain.

Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, is kept absent from the royal court due to his dangerous political ideas. Sent on a tour of inspections and inaugurations, he falls in love with Countess Sophie Chotek.