Although born in Alexandria, Egypt, Cleopatra was of Greek origin, the third daughter of King Ptolemy XII. The latter fled to Rome when the Egyptians didn't like being ruled by a Greek and his daughter Berenice, half-sister to Cleopatra, claimed the throne.
King Ptolemy XII returned to Egypt after three years in exile and he killed Berenice to reclaim the throne but four years later he died and Cleopatra became queen alongside her 'annoying little brother' Ptolemy XIII.
Cleopatra eventually met Julius Caesar and between them they tried to bring peace to Egypt. Ptolemy and his evil adviser Pothinus did not want this so they attacked Caesar but they were killed in battle. After that Cleopatra and Caesar travelled down the Nile in style to let the people know who was in charge in Egypt.
Cleopatra then spent a year in Rome and only returned to Egypt when Caesar was murdered. She then met Antony in Tarsus and he crowned her Queen of Kings and gave her children royal titles. However, after Antony divorced his wife Octavia, her brother Octavian declared war against Egypt. When Octavian's army reached Alexandria, Antony decided to take his men and attack him so he departed and left Cleopatra to hide in the magnificent tomb she had had built for herself.
News arrived back that Antony had stabbed himself as he believed that Cleopatra was dead. But when he returned covered in blood and dying he discovered Cleopatra was still alive. He died just as Octavian's troops stormed Cleopatra's tomb and they imprisoned her there prior to the plan to take her back to Rome. However Cleopatra thwarted them by taking her own life, killed by a poisonous snake hidden in a basket of figs taken to her by her servant.
It is all very dramatic and, as such, is dramatically told by Katie Daynes in what can be considered an introduction to the full story of Cleopatra or a taster before watching the even more dramatic Elizabeth Taylor film!