DUCHESS, THE (Keira Knightley)

LADY DIANA OF THE PAST - Elsket av folket, men ikke av sin mann! Den vakre og glamorøse Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) gifter seg med den eldre og fraværende hertugen av Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes), og det eneste han ønsker seg av henne er en sønn og arving. Han mister interessen for henne når hun "bare" kan føde ham døtre, og sårer henne ytterligere ved å ta venninnen hennes som sin "offisielle" elskerinne. Men den sterke Georgiana lar seg ikke kue på den måten. Hun finner sin egen elsker i den unge politikeren Charles Grey. Men det viser seg at det gjelder andre regler for kvinner når det gjelder utroskap...

In 1774, the young Georgiana Spencer is contracted in marriage to William Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, with the expectation that she produce his male heir. She is quickly disillusioned by her husband, especially when Charlotte, William’s illegitimate child whose mother has died, comes to live with them while Georgiana is pregnant. William expects Georgiana to tolerate the child's presence and practice "mothering" on her.

When Georgiana gives birth to a girl, William is displeased. In his mind, he has fulfilled his obligations to her as her husband. However, by failing to provide him with a legitimate male heir, she has failed in her obligations as his wife.

Georgiana becomes a leading light in fashionable society. She socialises with the young Lady Bess Foster at Bath and invites her to live with them since Bess has nowhere else to go. William has an affair with her, causing Georgiana to feel robbed of her only friend and betrayed by Bess. Bess tells Georgiana that her motive is to regain her three sons (whom her husband has taken from her), so she continues to live with them.

Starring

Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Simon McBurney, Aidan McArdle, John Shrapnel