Margrete Queen of the North is a superbly mounted drama set in a variety of Scandinavian countries at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century.

It’s a big, dark, roiling cauldron of politics and emotion, and satisfying as all that -- even if a lot of it is speculation.

While the plot is at times overstuffed with palace intrigues, this piercing character study carries a contemporary poignancy, as it encapsulates the difficult choices a female leader has to make in a world bounded by patriarchal control.

Margrete is played with an affecting blend of regality and fragility by the ever-reliable Dyrholm.