All women should consider themselves a Duchess

Long time no post! Friday night Corey had to work late so I thought I would catch up on my chick flicks. The first selection was Keira Knightley in The Duchess. Knightley plays Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire, who is “sold off” to marry the Duke on Devonshire by her mother. Blinded by the thought of a rich house, title and living in the public eye, Georgiana assumes she and her husband will grow to love each other, considering they had only met twice. Knightley was captivatingly beautiful, as always, in this period piece and I was pleasantly surprised at the movie’s blunt transparency into the time. Not only was the Duchess raised to assume being sold into a marriage was OK, she was also told to ignore her husband’s indiscretions.

The movie really made me think about the mid-late 1700’s and what a modern woman in today’s society would do if placed in the similar situation of Georgiana? I know what I would have done.

As someone who considers herself a modern woman, I have had my share of heartbreak, men who were unfaithful, mean to me; I could go on and on. But to my defense, I never lived in the same household with my boyfriend and his lover, nor pretended it wasn’t going on. To Georgiana’s credit, she did confront the Duke and Lady Elizabeth. I don’t know if they ever reconciled their relationship as friends (Even though in the movie they did, I have yet to read the book), but I believe she was rightfully livid and her husband was repugnant.

Now, in all fairness, we do have to give something to the Duke. The story wouldn’t have made headlines, been made into a book or a move if he didn’t act the way he did. And to Georgiana’s mother, who was equally disgusting, she wanted her daughter to remove herself publicly to lower the chance of rumors. Well, Georgiana showed her with several published works about her, numerous paintings and is still being talked about in the 21st Century.

So every time I think I am being outspoken, too opinionated or quick-witted, I will think of the Duchess of Devonshire and how she turned her tragedy to her favor by being in the public eye and not bowing down to criticism or speculation.

I loved this movie and can’t wait to buy it on DVD.