In the coronation summer of 1838, seventeen-year-old Fanny Harcourt goes to London to stay with her close friend Emily Dacre for the festivities. The young Victoria, scarcely older than Fanny herself, is to assume the throne of England.

Enjoying the pomp and pageantry, the swelling crowds of commoners and snobs, Fanny soon catches the eye of a handsome novelist. Infatuations, matchmaking hazards, and romantic misunderstandings enhance the carnival atmosphere as the two girls explore the city. But it will take a real disaster to sort out the merely spectacular from the truly honorable.