Finished Mo 3/28/22
I ordered the hardback book from Amazon after watching 'THE DUCHESS' with Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, and Charlotte Rampling. Won 1 Oscar; 8 wins & 21 nominations.
I loved the film and felt it really captured the lives of the nobility during the British Regency Period.
Georgiana was the 5th Duchess of Devonshire
Lady Elizabeth Foster (Bess) became a very close friend of Georgiana and possibly a lover to both the Duke and Duchess. This was clearly a ménage a trois by any standard.
'The Ton' (le bon ton)- members of the upper class who were obsessed with fashion. Georgiana was a true icon of fashion for the age.
An ardent supporter of the Whig party
Georgiana was a profligate gambler and lost and gained several fortunes. She was constantly after the Duke to give her money, but she was always afraid to tell him exactly how much that she owed.
Georgiana popularized various styles of dress including the huge wigs for women. Some creations were three feet high and sometimes topped with figurines. Also, tall feathers that extended far above the wig.
Georgiana belonged to the Spencer family, one of the richest and oldest in Britain. Lady Di is a distant relative. The Cavendish family was the Duke's relatives and they were one of the richest families in all of Britain.
The House of Lords was filled with the richest men and The House of Commons was made up of the 'next richest' men in the country.
Although Georgiana and her compatriots wanted 'Freedom' it wasn't exactly equality, just more representation in government and less by the aristocracy.
I really liked the book and it was chockfull of tidbits and information about the people and the life of the '1 percenters' of the 18th century.
Charlotte Williams was an illegitimate daughter of the duke and raised by Georgiana as her own.
Over 1,000 personal letters written by the Duchess of Devonshire are still in existence and many excerpts are included in the book.
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