"Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" by Amanda Foreman (2000)


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Tinika

Tinika

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I'm about a third of the way through this very fascinating book about one of Diana's ancestors, Georgiana (née Spencer), Duchess of Devonshire. The parallels between her life and Diana's are pretty amazing so far...early marriage to an older, emotionally distant husband with a mistress, eating disorders, extraordinary fame, charm, dazzling public persona, private vulnerability and suffering. Has anyone else read this? It's completely absorbing.
 
yes, I read it and loved it. Aristocrats by stella tillyard is also fun. I have to reread both books because there is so much information, they are both worth it.
 
Tinika said:
I'm about a third of the way through this very fascinating book about one of Diana's ancestors, Georgiana (née Spencer), Duchess of Devonshire. The parallels between her life and Diana's are pretty amazing so far...early marriage to an older, emotionally distant husband with a mistress, eating disorders, extraordinary fame, charm, dazzling public persona, private vulnerability and suffering. Has anyone else read this? It's completely absorbing.
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I saw a documentary on TV about Georgiana a few years ago, and it was after I saw it that I bought the book - I haven't had time to read it all though.
 
Nichola said:
I saw a documentary on TV about Georgiana a few years ago, and it was after I saw it that I bought the book - I haven't had time to read it all though.
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lets hope they will make the movie (cate blanchett?), love the 18th century.
 
susan alicia said:
lets hope they will make the movie (cate blanchett?), love the 18th century.
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I'd prefer Kate Winslet in the part. :)
 
Georgiana wasn't an ancestor of Diana, she was the sister and daughter of Diana's ancestors. Which book about her are you talking about? The one by Amanda Foreman, or the combined bio about her and Bess? I read the Amanda Foreman one, but haven't gotten around to the other one.

I doubt this would get made into a film simply because not enough ppl would be interested. If a film were to be made though, it couldn't be Knightley, she has the wrong colouring. Someone who could carry off red hair, like Winslet, would be needed.
 
kelly9480 said:
Georgiana wasn't an ancestor of Diana, she was the sister and daughter of Diana's ancestors. Which book about her are you talking about? The one by Amanda Foreman, or the combined bio about her and Bess? I read the Amanda Foreman one, but haven't gotten around to the other one.

I doubt this would get made into a film simply because not enough ppl would be interested. If a film were to be made though, it couldn't be Knightley, she has the wrong colouring. Someone who could carry off red hair, like Winslet, would be needed.
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the one by amanda foreman. I thought of cate blanchett because somewhere in the book it is mentioned how she is obsessed with her look and diets (I think) and cate is skinny. If I can find the article about the similarities between the DoD and Diana I will try to post bits of it.

But looking at the cover of the book with her portrait, she is for todays standards a bit round and Kate winslet would be perfect
 
According to Charles' Spencer's book about his family, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (nee Lady Georgiana Spencer) was his great-great-great aunt. That would make her Diana's distant aunt also.
 
1st Earl - Georgiana
1st Earl - 2nd Earl - 4th Earl - 6th Earl - 7th Earl - 8th Earl - current Earl & Diana

I'm thinking she was great-great-great-great aunt
 
Quote from Charles Spencer's Book

In his chapter on Georgiana Devonshire, Empress of Style, Charles Spencer says the following:

They said that she (Georgiana Devonshire) exchaned her kisses for votes, something she always denied, but definitely a charge that has stuck for over two centuries--it was the first story about my great-great-great aunt that I can remember being told as a boy. The Spencers, pp 142.
 
Well Spencer skipped a generation, because he's missing a 'great' in there.
 
Yes - considering how many years have passed since she lived, there'd have to have been some extraordinary longevity for her to just be three greats away from the present generation.
 
Take it up with Earl Spencer Kelly, I was just quoting him.
 
I'm not taking anything up with anyone. I'm just stating a fact. Spencer's book isn't without mistakes.
 
kelly9480 said:
I'm not taking anything up with anyone. I'm just stating a fact. Spencer's book isn't without mistakes.
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Then don't take it out on me. Seems like too many people on here like to show off their knowledge to boost their ego, not help others understand better. If you wish to argue this further, let's do it in Private Messaging and take it out of the thread. Let's get back to talking about Georgiana.
 
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I'm not taking anything out on anyone. There is no argument. If you think otherwise, then that's your interpretation, not mine.
 
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I read that Georgianna died of I think gall stones or something rather simple to treat in todays society but not in her day. She was also rather young wasn't she...
Does anyone know what her work for a living was? Charities?
Did she have many lovers? Children?
Please correct me about the gallstones if I'm wrong.
 
The book said she had a liver abscess, although I'm not quite sure how the author actually knew.
 
lashinka2002 said:
Does anyone know what her work for a living was? Charities?
Did she have many lovers? Children?
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Georgiana seems to have lived for pleasure! Whilst doing what was expected of her as lady of the manor at Chatsworth she was a compulsive gambler & her husband regularly had to pay her debts. Her son inherited the title but never married. He is known as "The Bachelor Duke" and it was he who employed Joseph Paxton as head gardener at Chatsworth and who greatly increased the art & sculpture collections of the estate. Georgiana's daughter married into the Howard family branch who were Earls of Carlisle. It is from this branch that the current Dukes of Devonshire descend.
 
Oh, Thanks for the info!
It doesn't seem like she did much then does it?
 
The rich, titled ladies of that time didn't do much in the way of regular jobs at all; they were mostly expected to be leaders of society in London and to look after their country estates. Georgiana was very heavily involved in politics by the sound of things; that also wasn't particularly unusual back then either.
 
Georgiana was heavily involved in politics. The Spencer family that she was born into was ultra-Whig. She and her sister, Lady Harriet Duncannon, pounded the pavement for Whig candidates, spent enormous amounts of money campaigning, and were noted to campaign "amongst the basest of society." Georgiana and her sister were highly ridiculed by the Tory party, but Georgiana got the last laugh when Charles Fox was elected a seat in Parliament.

According to The Spencers, Earl Spencer claims that an addiction to gambling ran amongst his ancestors, with Georgiana being one of the most addicted. Georgiana knew she was addicted but never attempted to mend her ways, not even when she had to face a husband she was afraid of for money to pay her gambling debts.
 
Stupidest question EVER EVER EVER is Devonshire a place, why are people called duchess of ____. like duchess of cornwall, duchess of devonshire...do they live in those places?:eek:
 
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The Devonshires live in Derbyshire and have for centuries. Devonshire was simply the most recently extinct ducal title available when they were to be granted a dukedom. Cornwall is different because the Duke of Cornwall actually owns chunks of the county through the Duchy of Cornwall. Usually, though, the location cited in the title reflects on some family connection to the location, like the Duke of Westminster owns chunks of Westminster, though he lives in Chesher.
 
how are people granted titles? do they have responsibilties to the location?
 
I found some great pictures of portraits of Georgiana. I wish I could get them on my computer!! How do others put pics up??
 
When excactly did Georgiana live, and who was her husband?
 
I read this book about a year ago and I really enjoyed it. She seems like a fascinating character and somehow parallels Diana's life. It is so sad the way she dies though.
 
I bought it and haven't read it yet but I'll start reading it I think.
 
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