A sad testament to the rigors of 18th century English society and women's roles, The Duchess tells the story of Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightly) and her marriage to the older Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). The product of a society that relegates women to window dressing and child-bearing, at sixteen Georgiana is filled with romantic notions and little information about the demands of marriage. Frolicking with her companions on the lawn of her family's estate- including future prime minister and lover Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper) - Georgiana is thrilled to learn of a marriage proposal by the impressive Duke of Devonshire. All the duke requires is a male heir and his bride-to-be is certainly capable of fulfilling her husband's demands. On the pointed advice of her mother (an intimidating Charlotte Rampling), Georgiana casts her self into the role of wife, quickly disabused of any frivolous romantic notions on her wedding night. Unfortunately, Georgiana bears the duke three girls, her husband increasingly chagrined and ill-tempered as his wife disappoints him with the birth of each new daughter. Stoic and rigid when it comes to his wife, Fiennes plays the distant husband to perfection, indulging in extra-marital affairs and ignoring his wife's obvious suffering when she discovers his penchant for callous infidelity. Georgiana responds as best she can, given the restraints of society, becoming the darling of the social set, charming and witty, a trendsetter who captivates the imaginations of those who enjoy her company, male and female. One admirer is Whig party leader Charles Fox, but there are many. Georgiana is a skillful raconteur regardless of her deep disappointment with marriage. On an outing to Bath, Georgiana makes a new friend, a woman suffering the loss of her children through her powerful husband's interference. The kind-hearted Georgiana welcomes this woman into her home only to know the most grievous betrayal of all and the beginning of her deepest despair. Georgiana's is a tragic life, a woman trapped by society's expectations. Knightly captures the essence of this woman's dilemma, her fresh beauty quickly marred by the reality of her situation. The one time Georgiana dares to break from her restrictive marriage and cold husband, seeking love in the arms of her lover, Charles Grey, she suffers immediate repercussions, brought quickly to heel by the man who controls every aspect of her life, especially her children. English society is not kind to women when they escape the boundaries set by men. As much as Georgiana is loved by the public, her behavior is scandalous. Although a somewhat repentant duke welcomes his defeated wife home, it begs belief that Georgiana's life would really change for the better, save her acceptance of the limitations of the marriage. Still, this is a thoughtful commentary on the marriage of a spirited young woman who endures a similar fate long before the memorable Diana Spencer, her relative.