Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire

Celebrated 18th Century Socialite and Political Activist

Apr 13, 2009 Adrienne Warber

The Duchess of Devonshire did not let the rigid society rules for women or her unusual marriage get in the way of her determination to live life on her own terms.

Lady Georgiana Spencer may not have realized that her life would take an unusual path in history when she married William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire. She may have expected a normal society marriage to a member of the peerage. However, Georgiana Cavendish's life was anything but normal.

Georgiana Spencer's Early Years

Georgiana Spencer was born on June 7, 1757. She had impressive aristocratic bloodlines. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, John Spencer, was the great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill. Modern descendants include the late Princess of Wales Diana Spencer and Sara Ferguson, Duchess of York.

As a young girl she was popular with her peers. Even before marriage, Georgiana excelled at assisting her mother with hosting social events. She had a lively and engaged mind with an early interest in literature and politics.

The Duchess of Devonshire's Marriage

Georgiana Cavendish's marriage to the 5th Duke of Devonshire was arranged by her parents. Like many noble wives, Georgiana was many years younger than her husband. She also liked socializing and political discussions, unlike her husband. Their different interests and a series of miscarriages strained their marriage. Despite the numerous miscarriages, Georgiana and the Duke eventually had three children - Georgiana, Harriet and William George.

The Duke was known to have mistresses but the most famous was Lady Elizabeth Foster. Prior to the affair, Georgiana befriended Elizabeth Foster. Contemporaries commented on how much the affair between her dear friend and husband hurt and humiliated Georgiana. What made this affair different from many aristocratic extra marital affairs was that the Duke moved Lady Foster into their home. Georgiana had to live with her husband and his mistress for the rest of her life. She eventually forgave her husband and friend and gave them her blessing to marry after her death.

Georgiana had an affair with Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Eliza Courtney. The Duke forced Georgiana to give up Eliza, who was then raised by Grey's family. Georgiana maintained a secret relationship with her daughter, Eliza, who named one of her own children Georgiana.

The Duchess of Devonshire The Socialite

The Duchess was a popular hostess. She hosted salons that included the most influential Whig politicians, poets, writers and artists of the day. The playwright Richard Sheridan, the politician Charles James Fox and the artist Thomas Gainsborough were frequent visitors to her salons.

She was also a celebrated beauty and fashion icon. She wore extravagant outfits, hats and hairdos that set the fashions among the British elite. She was the subject of many paintings by famous artists.

Georgiana also loved to gamble. She spent a great deal of time at parties gambling with friends. Neither her husband nor parents approved of her gambling. They refused to pay her large debt which grew to a considerable sum by her death.

The Duchess of Devonshire's Political Influence

Georgiana grew up in a Whig family and her husband also supported the political party. She followed current political issues avidly and enjoyed discussing politics with men at her salons. She also actively campaigned for the Whigs, which was unusual for women. Her popularity with people of all classes made her a great spokesperson for the Whig party.

The Duchess of Devonshire's Lasting Influence

Many writers, artists and movie producers have been fascinated with the story of Georgiana Cavendish. She has been the subject of biographies, poems and fictional stories. Most recently, Keira Knightley portrayed Georgiana in the 2008 film, The Duchess.

Sources:

Masters, Brian, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, Hamish Hamilton 1981

Foreman, Amanda, The Duchess, 1998

The copyright of the article Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire in Historical Biographies is owned by Adrienne Warber. Permission to republish Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Georgiana Cavendish by Joshua Reynolds	Duchess of Devonshire with baby by Joshua Reynolds	Young Georgiana by Joshua Reynolds
Georgiana Cavendish by Thomas Gainsborough	Duchess of Devonshire as Diana by unknown artist

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Comments

Apr 14, 2009 8:47 PM

Lisa Sanderson :

Georgiana is certainly a fascinating woman. It's a pity that she couldn't marry Grey. She would have made him a wonderful and helpful wife.

Apr 15, 2009 4:00 AM

Guest :

Georgiana seems to be lady before her time, she should have married Grey!

May 11, 2009 4:34 PM

Guest :

I think that is part of what made her special though. She gave up marrying Grey, the love of her life, in order to help all her people and her family. I think if she had married him she wouldn't be remembered as much.

Jun 17, 2009 7:01 PM

Guest :

I recently watched the movie with Keira Knightly and i was absorbed & captivated immediately. All the 4 principal actors embodied their characters so well that they were totally believable and conveyed the story. I enjoyed it immensely. It was a beautifully made movie. The locations were wonderful. The colors the costumes everything looked great.
It is easy to say she should have left the Duke for Charles but in those times it must have been impossible, the scandel & and then there were the children. When giving up her daughter Eliza i believe this helped her to understand her friend Elizabeth plight for her boys. This allowed her the capacity to forgive & accept. I believe Eliza was named after her friend Elizabeth. It is basically the same name. This movie moved me to tears on both times i viewed it and i felt much compassion for all the characters including William Cavendish. Ralph Fiennes played him sympathetically & i thought with a little humour. The sign of a excellent movie when you become totally absorbed & believe what you see. I believe he loved her in his own way. If he did not he could have divorced her. Over all i thought it was a tragedy really to give up a child & the man you love but also it brought her peace in acceptance. She was a women ahead of her times. There definateley were some parallels with Diana Princess of Wales.

Jan 1, 2010 9:04 PM

Guest :

What an honest and interesting woman Georgiana was. I believe she was ahead of her time, but ultimately made the only choice possible for herself and her girls in that repressive age. It reminds women of how far we've come and how important it is to maintain our freedom!

5 Comments