The Duchess

Some films stick to memory for lots of reasons. I consider the film The Duchess with Keira Knightley to belong to that category. I find it to be a brilliant film because of the acting, an exciting and somewhat tragic life story and of course the magnificent clothes. They are done to perfection and are absolutely true to the 18th century. I should know. I have always been fascinated by that century.


The Duchess of Devonshire was born as Lady Georgiana Spencer and those who know their noble names also know that the Duchess is the ancestor to Lady Diana and Prince William and Prince Harry. Of course the film throws a romantic shimmer of it all but shows a bit of the hardship. Georgiana Spencer as most women in those days married for connections and wealth and not for love. Of course she couldn't have the man she really loved and for twentyfive years she shared her husband with her friend Lady Elizabeth Foster.


It wasn't all hardship. This lady knew how to party and she gambled away small fortunes. She was the toast of London and what she wore everyone else wore the week after. She was one of the world's first trendsetters. She also got involved with politics and was a sort of a forerunner to the movement of the suffragettes .


An exciting life and therefore naturally perfect to end up on the silver screen. I think they made a marvellous and memorable job of it.


The fascinations we hold in this life can be accounted for by what we were in past lives (if you believe that sort of thing). My past life as a 18th century English noble lady could be the explanation to my love for the 18th century and for everything English.

Life led me on a path where I needed hypnotic therapy to mend myself so to speak. Apart from the lady I have been a doctor in 19th century Sweden and a pamhlet writer in 17th century Holland.

But that is an entirely different story .....


//P.