The operetta is a fictionalized retelling of the story of the Mayerling Incident, but with a happy ending replacing the infamous 1889 double suicide of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Maria Vetsera. In the operetta, Rudolf is a young man who is tired of his life as the heir to the throne. He falls in love with Marinka, a peasant girl, and they plan to run away together. However, their plans are thwarted by Rudolf's disapproving father, Emperor Franz Josef.