The Duchess: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Governess

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Chaucer, G., Phillips, H. (1982). The book of the Duchess. Durham, England: Durham and St. Andrews Medieval Texts. This was a book, that I would like to have loved, but ultimately, it did not cut the mustard, pass the port, or lead in the quadrille. I confess, though this book has extraordinary detail and research about Georgiana's political activities, I found her personal life far more fascinating.

The Duchess (2008) - Plot - IMDb The Duchess (2008) - Plot - IMDb

In a visit to France in 1775, Georgiana had become intimately acquainted with Marie Antoinette and the Duchesse de Polignac. Rumours about their relationship had spread like wildfire around the Court at Versailles. On her return to England, Georgiana then established a passionate relationship with Mrs Mary Graham. One of her letters says: “I want to say above all that I love you, my dear friend, and kiss you tenderly.” Females in the 18th century could take the initiative in many areas. Both the Spencer and Cavendish families were reformist Whigs, but the Duke’s position made it impossible for him to become involved in politics. Georgiana therefore became the public face of the family’s political ambitions. Although women could not vote at the time, and were barred from the House of Commons, Georgiana was an intelligent, insightful woman. She was very interested in Enlightenment philosophy, and understanding the importance of public relations very well, she became: Meecham-Jones, Simon (2018). "Blanche, Two Chaucers and the Stanley Family: Rethinking the Reception of The Book of the Duchess". Critical Survey. 30 (2): 94–119. doi: 10.3167/cs.2018.300206. I declare to God I am half mad … Oh Bess, every sensation I feel but heightens my adoration for you.” The bac story to Foreman's research is fantastic - she was studying 18th century British politics and was taught that the involvement of women like the Duchess of Devonshire was basically just eye candy for the voters, but she found out that Georgiana for the Whigs and later the Duchess of Gordon for Pitt the younger were important political figures because women were meant to be apolitical therefore they could invite people to dinner at which business could be agreed informally (so for example dinners at her table were important in the peace negotiations with the rebel colonies in north America, also since invitations to upper class parties at Devonshire house had social cachet, it functioned as an early form of party discipline - if you failed to vote with the party then you got no invite to Devonshire house to drink tea and play whist. Equally feminine blandishments might be employed to encourage some leading figure to cross the floor of the house of Commons, finally she might turn up on the campaign trail.Writing: Writing about history is no easy feat. It can be confusing and hard to make sense of the past. And having a character-pool filled with Duchess this and Duke that, who all have the same first names, can make the task almost impossible. But Foreman does such a good job of writing in a straight-forward and approachable language that the history blossoms in front of your eyes. I am still new to the world of historical biographies, but I am very glad that I didn't wait to read this one. Did I only read it after watching the movie twice? Yes. Did I only own it because it has Keira Knightley on the cover? Yes. Did I only decide to read it now because I'm going to Chatsworth next month and felt like it was now-or-never? Yes indeed. The Duchess is a 2008 historical drama film directed by Saul Dibb, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeffrey Hatcher and Anders Thomas Jensen, based on the 1998 book Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, about the late 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. She was an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, where the quote "There were three people in her marriage" in the promotional poster comes from.

Hold Still: A Portrait of our Nation in 2020: Sunday Times

Chudleigh’s life is like the longest and most jaw-dropping society story you’ve ever read. Ostler paints a glittering picture of London in the reign of George II...She also provides a close-up of what she calls “the psychodrama of the Hanoverian succession”. It’s all terrifically entertaining: if you liked Bridgerton, you’ll love this. The story romps along with great style and gusto, and her research is impeccable.'

To be honest, I didn’t really understand what was going on – who the Duchess is, when this is happening, if it’s even real or not – but I didn’t really care. I read it twice.’ There were 200 peers of whom 28 were the highest ranking, Dukes. All the peers were entitled by birth to sit in the House of Lords, and 558 members of parliament (often their friends and relatives) would sit in the House of Commons. Britain itself still had less than ten million people, of whom only about 3 per cent were entitled to vote. As the wife of a Duke, Georgiana therefore immediately became one of the most influential figures of her time. This account of gardening in the Welsh Marches in the menacing company of the Duchess is a treat for any light-hearted gardener with a taste for the unexpected.Vivid, irreverent and hilarious, it is informative, richly evocative and full of surprises.’