The Duchess is the rather sad story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, played by Keira Knightley. The film opens in 1774, when she is seventeen. Beautiful, intelligent and vivacious, life for Georgiana is about having fun with her friends.
However, her society is dominated by the idea of duty, and her mother Margaret (Charlotte Rampling), wife of the first Earl Spencer, is arranging her marriage to William, Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Feinnes). Georgiana is thrilled by the prospect of becoming a duchess, but soon after they're married, she discovers that William is remote and lacking in affection (notice how static their shared scenes are, whereas other scenes are fluid and full of movement). It seems that he is only interested in her producing a male heir - and in having sex with other women.
Georgiana nevertheless becomes a celebrated society figure, renowned for her beauty, style and political involvement. One character wryly reflects that, 'the Duke of Devonshire must be the only man in England not to be in love with his wife.'
When they are staying in Bath a few years later, Georgiana becomes close friends with Lady Elizabeth (Bess) Foster (Hayley Atwell), who is separated from her husband and prohibited from seeing her children by him. She ends up living with the Devonshires and before long William begins an affair with her. Georgiana is incensed, crying, 'I have never objected to any of your affairs . . . She is the sole comfort in our marriage. You have robbed me of my only friend.' But when the Duke refuses to throw Bess out, Georgiana resigns herself to the ménage à trios, which continues for more than twenty years until her death (after which William married Bess, and found a new mistress).
The affair destroys, for a time, the friendship between Georgiana and Bess. Bess claims that sleeping with the Duke is her only hope of ever seeing her children again, since he is one of the most powerful men in the country. 'There are limits to the sacrifices one makes for one's children,' retorts Georgiana. But Bess's simple reply is, 'No. There are no limits.' Georgiana eventually discovers this for herself. An affair with promising young politician, Charles Grey (later to be the Earl Grey after whom the tea is named), seems to bring love and happiness. But the Duke warns her that if she does not give Charles up, she will never see her children again.
What is particularly interesting about The Duchess is not so much that Georgiana's life has fascinating parallels with that of a later Spencer (Diana, who became Princess of Wales and later reflected that 'there are three in this marriage'), but our reaction to it.
