Abdul Karim, a young prison clerk from Agra, British Raj, is instructed to travel to England for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 to present her with a Mohur, a gold coin which has been minted as a token of appreciation from British-ruled India. The Queen, who is lonely and tired of her fawning courtiers, develops an interest in and later a friendship with Abdul. She spends time with him alone, and promotes him to become her Munshi. She asks him to teach her Urdu and the Qur'an. When Victoria discovers that he is married, she invites his wife and mother-in-law to join him to England. They arrive wearing black Burqas, to the consternation of the household. While Victoria treats Abdul as a son, his preferment is resented by her household and inner circle, including her son Bertie and the Prime Minister..