Geneva, September 10, 1898. During one of her many travels, Elisabeth of Austria stops at the Hotel Beau Rivage. Thanks to a tip-off from a local press informant, the stay of the incognito traveling empress does not remain a secret. Thus, Cesare Monteverdi, editor of the Tribune de Genève, positions himself on the promenade near the hotel to photograph the publicity-shy monarch. However, his intention to capture the photo of a lifetime is abruptly thwarted.