- A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was revered for her extravagant political and personal life.
- Georgiana Spencer became Duchess of Devonshire on her marriage to the Duke in 1774, at the height of the Georgian period, a period of fashion, decadence, and political change. Spirited and adored by the public at large she quickly found her marriage to be a disappointment, defined by her duty to produce a male heir and the Duke's philandering and callous indifference to her. She befriends Lady Bess but finds she is once again betrayed by her husband who wields his power with the three eventually living uncomfortably together. Against this background, and with the pressures of an unfaithful husband, strict social pressures and constant public scrutiny, Georgiana falls passionately in love with Charles Grey, a rising young Whig politician. However, despite his ongoing liaison with Lady Bess, the Duke refuses to allow her to continue the affair and threatens to take her children from her.—johnno.r[at]xtra.co.nz
- After a careless youth, Georgiana Spencer is delighted to be married off at 17 by her parents in 1774 to the Duke of Devonshire, one of England's richest and most influential peers. Although his grace enables a lavish life-style in grand homes and privileged introduction to the highest society circles, it comes at a price. The duke only cares for her as future mother of a male heir, and punishes her failing in that respect severely, while enjoying serial adultery and ordering her to help raise his illegitimate offspring, without omitting her sole confident Bess Foster. Even after the birth of a son, her indiscreet affair with rising politician Charles Grey is intolerable.—KGF Vissers
- 1770s England. Despite being at a carefree stage of her young adult life which includes a friendship and possibly more in the future with Charles Grey, Lady Georgiana Spencer is more than thrilled to accept the marriage proposal of older William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire, regardless of the fact that they have only met twice. Georgiana is well aware that she has only two primary responsibilities as Duchess: (1) to produce a male heir for the Duke; (2) to be loyal to him. However, their marriage is not as she expects, where he pays more attention to his dogs than he does to her. Even their lovemaking is cold and clinical. As long as she doesn't fulfill that first responsibility which seems to be difficult to achieve, their marriage will remain distant. That coldness she is aware includes infidelity on his side, which she tolerates in keeping to her second responsibility, especially as it relates to her public duties. As such, she decides to be fulfilled in other ways outside of her time with the Duke, which he, in an unspoken agreement, is not to intrude. Those outside activities, which make her a star among the elite, include fashion design, gambling, and surprisingly politics. It also includes a friendship with Lady Elizabeth Foster - Bess - whose own marriage is in disarray, as her husband beats her and he has all but taken away their children from her. Georgiana and Bess act as each other's emotional support, which on Georgiana's side includes inviting her to live in Devonshire House with her and the Duke. As her marriage to the Duke deteriorates even further, Georgiana has to decide how far she will go, especially as it relates to Bess, and to Charles, who, as a young man, has political aspirations. If she can't have her cake and eat it too, she will have to make some difficult decisions with regard to the ones she truly loves.—Huggo
- Though adored by the people, the Duchess of Devonshire is not content to sit as a pretty figurehead. Determined to be a major player in affairs of state, she rises to the forefront of the Whig Party and helps usher in reform in late-1700s England. The one thing it seems she cannot do is win the heart of her husband.—Jwelch5742
- In 1774, at the Althorp Estate in London, the young Georgiana (Keira Knightley) is smitten with a young politician Charles Grey. Georgina and Charles flirt with each other on social occasions.
Georgiana Spencer (Charlotte Rampling) also known as Countess Spencer is Georgiana's mother. Goergiana is contracted in marriage to William Cavendish (Ralph Fiennes), Duke of Devonshire, with the expectation that she produces his male heir. William is worried that Georgina might expect a large reward once she produces the mail heir, but the Countess assures William that generations of her family have never indulged in this kind of trickery and trade. At first Georgiana is elevated at the thought of becoming the "Duchess of Devonshire". William is very mature and serious, and nothing like the young and playful Charles. Georgina and William are married in a lavish ceremony.
They move into the huge estate of Devonshire House in London. On their wedding night, William takes a pair of scissors and cuts the dress off Georgina before he has sex with her. William is not the romantic type and approaches sex as a mechanical activity that he needs to complete so as to be able produce an heir.
Georgiana is quickly disillusioned by her husband. William never talks to Georgiana and is only interested in having sex with her at night. Her mother advises Georgiana that after a male heir is born the nightly visits will become less frequent and less "determined". Georgina confides to her mother that beneath the "cool" exterior, William has no depth of emotions or feelings. He is not interested in anything except his dogs.
Occasionally, Georgiana watches naked women scurrying out of William's chamber as she approached. Georgina is even more disturbed when Charlotte (Camilla Arfwedson) a motherless child and the daughter of William's liaison with a maid of the house, who later died, comes to live with them while Georgiana is pregnant. William argues that their mansion is full of empty rooms and thus Charlotte would never be in Georgiana's way and might even be useful to her in some ways.
William is the main supporter of the Whig party headed by The Right Honorable Charles James Fox (Simon McBurney). Fox is proposing voting rights for a larger section of the population (Freedom in moderation), while Georgiana supports freedom to vote for all (Universal Franchise). Georgiana argues that the concept of freedom is an absolute and one is either free or not free.
William expects Georgiana to tolerate the child's presence, who turns out to be his own illegitimate offspring. He also suggests that she "practice mothering" on the young girl. Georgiana makes peace with the idea and even befriends the little girl who had come into her home. Georgiana goes into labor in the middle of one of William's parties. When Georgiana gives birth to a girl, William is displeased. In his mind, he has fulfilled his obligations to her as her husband but, by failing to provide him with a legitimate male heir, she has failed in her obligations as his wife. Soon, Georgiana has 2 daughters (she has had 2 miscarriages, both sons).
Georgiana becomes a leading light in fashionable society. Georgiana and William travel with their entourage to the city of Bath. Georgiana socializes with the young Lady Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell) at Bath and kindly invites her to live with them since Bess has nowhere else to go. Her husband is cheating on her, and at a party Georgiana had seen William and Bess talking, but Bess told her that William wanted to dance, and she declined. Bess and Georgiana share their deepest secrets with each other and get really close. Georgiana says that the Duke has come to Bath for the waters for his Gout, and she for her health. Georgiana tells Bess about Charlotte and how she was born to William out of wedlock, before he married Georgiana. Georgiana claims that she loves Charlotte same as all her other children. Bess shares that her husband was physically abusing her and would not allow her to meet her sons. Bess even has a lesbian affair with Georgiana.
William has an affair with Bess, causing Georgiana to feel robbed of her only friend and betrayed by Bess. Georgiana wants Bess out of the house, but William refuses to do so. Bess explains to Georgiana that her motive is to regain her three sons (whom her husband has taken from her), so she continues to live with them. William keeps his promise and unites Bess with her sons.
Georgiana starts an affair with Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), who is introduced to her as Mr Fox's protege. Georgiana starts by helping Charles in the campaigning for the upcoming elections in 6 weeks. William is outraged when Georgiana suggests that since he has Bess, she should be allowed Charles as a distraction.
William sexually assaults Georgiana, and a male child is the product. Bess encourages the affair between Georgiana and Charles after the birth of Georgiana's son. When William leaves for London, Georgiana summons Grey and proceeds to have sex with him. She then travels to Bath, and has Grey keep her company for the entire duration. Soon, the whole of London society comes to know of Georgiana's affair. William (in company of Georgiana's mother) threatens to end Charles's political career and forbid Georgiana from seeing her children again if she does not end the relationship.
After initially resisting, Georgiana ends her relationship with Grey but tells William that she is pregnant with Charles' child. She is sent to the countryside where she secretly gives birth to her daughter with Grey, Eliza Courtney, who is given to the Grey family to raise as Charles' niece. Georgiana finds comfort in Bess's friendship during her time of giving birth to Eliza. Georgiana and William come to terms with one another and, along with Bess, continue their lives together.
The after-credits reveal Georgiana secretly visits her daughter Eliza. Eliza goes on to name her own daughter Georgiana, after her mother. Charles later becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under William IV. Before she dies, Georgiana permits William and Bess to marry.
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