Anna comes to Siam to teach the king's children. The king receives a report. Sir Edward, a British diplomat, had called him a barbarian. With Anna's help, the king hosts a dinner party to impress the British guests.

When Anna learns that a poor woman’s baby is being sold to Kralahome’s wife to serve as a maid, she intervenes. This angers King Mongkut, as he feels that the governess is disregarding the customs of his country.

The king thinks his son is a coward because he is afraid to take part in a tiger hunt. But once the hunt is over, the king himself faces a test of courage.

The king is disappointed when Chulalongkorn's school marks are very low. It is up to governess Anna to convince King Mongkut that even a prince is only human and can have failures.

King Mongkut misunderstands Anna when she explains that women need tenderness, assuming she wants to be his wife. Louis hears the rumor and runs away. Anna must free herself without hurting the king’s pride.

The king orders a new invention from America to keep up with the times. But before anyone learns to ride it, the monarch first has to assemble it—a task he finds frustrating and nearly impossible.

The king arranges his son's marriage to a 10-year-old Burmese princess, even though Anna objects, saying the children are too young.

During an audience, an egg is thrown at the king, and he orders the perpetrator’s execution. What he doesn’t know is that the perpetrator has fled to the quarters of the governess, Anna.

Anna tells the king that she is looking for a new job elsewhere. Mongkut begins to give her expensive gifts and treats her son Louis well, hoping to persuade her to stay.

Louis finds himself in a dilemma when one of the king's daughters, Kai Ling, falls for him. Anna advises her son on how to put an end to her infatuation without incurring Mongkut's wrath.