Wedding Night Nightmares! The Tragic Marriage of a Noble Duchess and the Shocking Backlash

(The Duchess, 2008) tells the story of the pain-filled marriage between Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightley) and the Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) during the Georgian era in 18th century England. Georgiana is young, beautiful, intelligent and charming, but her marriage is merely a political and property arrangement. The Duke is aloof and uncaring, caring only if she produces a male heir, while she has become a fashion and political icon for Halloween in her social circle. Georgiana's life becomes even more miserable when she discovers that the Duke is having an affair with her best friend Bess (Hayley Atwell). Meanwhile, she falls deeply in love with a young politician, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), but ultimately has to give up her love and succumb to her social and family responsibilities. The movie portrays the plight of women in a patriarchal society and the conflict between personal happiness and social expectations.