The Duchess

Gambling addictions, eating disorders, drug use, all-night parties, and infidelity. Does this sound like the latest edition of E! News? While we are accustomed to hearing about this sort of behavior from the Hollywood set, most of us don’t think of these things happening amongst the aristocrats of the 18th century. But it turns out that things weren’t so different back then. Lady Georgiana Spencer married the Duke of Devonshire in 1774 at the age of 17. Her elevation to Duchess immediately made her one of the wealthiest and most influential members of the ton. Her fashions set the standard, and her involvement in politics was a first for women at the time. But as they say, money can’t buy everything. Despite her wealth and fame, Georgiana’s personal life was plagued by addictions and heartbreak. Her marriage was a political alliance, not a union of love, and her distant, unfaithful husband left her desperate for love and affection. Her husband’s family frequently criticized her for failing to conceive a male heir, and when her husband took her best friend as his mistress, Georgiana was heartbroken. To escape her pain and loneliness, she turned to drugs and gambling, running up enormous debts.

Amanda Foreman’s biography Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire chronicles Georgiana’s rise to fame, as well as the demons she faced in her personal life. Foreman draws on an abundance of primary sources to recreate the lives of these wealthy aristocrats. Numerous letters between Georgiana and her mother, as well as Bess (her best friend and husband’s mistress) have survived and provide much of the insight into what Georgiana was thinking and feeling at the time. Foreman also quotes from the daily newspapers, which followed the movements of Georgiana and her contemporaries much like People magazine does with today’s celebrities. The narrative does get bogged down from time to time with Foreman’s description of politics. Georgiana was heavily involved in the Whig party, so it is expected that the author would include some discussion of this topic. However, she provides a depth of detail on the rival parties, their histories, and their members that may be more than the average reader really wants to know. Because I was more interested in Georgiana’s relationships, I skimmed over much of the politics to get to the good stuff. But overall, Foreman paints a vivid portrait of 18th century aristocratic society and provides an intimate look at a fascinating woman.