An Engaging and Wise Portrait of a Lady

GEORGIANA: Duchess of Devonshire

by Amanda Foreman

Random House

$29.95, 464 pages

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Amanda Foreman was doing research for a doctoral dissertation on attitudes toward race in late 18th century England when she came across a letter written by Georgiana, the duchess of Devonshire. The voice was so arresting, Foreman tells us, “so strong, so clear, honest, and open that . . . everything I subsequently read seem[ed] dull by comparison”--so much so that Foreman decided to change her dissertation topic and devote herself to finding out all she could about the duchess.

Born in 1757, Lady Georgiana Spencer was a great-great-great-great aunt of the late Princess Diana. Like her collateral descendant, she made a very impressive match early on, marrying the duke of Devonshire when she was just 17. A tall, good-looking blond with a flair for fashion and publicity, Georgiana too had broad popular appeal in an era in which it was far more unusual for an aristocrat to have the common touch. Like Diana, she was an affectionate and devoted mother, an impulsive woman in many ways who was temperamentally unsuited to her phlegmatic husband. And Georgiana’s impulsive nature got her into serious trouble, as she became what we might now call “addicted” to gambling.

But there was a lot more to Georgiana’s character. The “amiable” duchess, as the newspapers were wont to call her, was an amateur musician, poet and scientist, and one of the most astute, dynamic and hard-working supporters of the Whig cause in politics. At a time when women could not vote, Georgiana campaigned for Whig candidates and worked behind the scenes to influence the men who sought and held power. Her willingness to hobnob with the common folk to win their support made her a target of the Tory press, which ran cartoons of the duchess kissing a butcher in exchange for his vote.

Working behind the scenes proved less parlous. “The secret springs of events are seldom known,” Georgiana wrote in her journal of 1782. “But when they are, they become particularly instructive and entertaining. . . . I came into the world at 17 and I am now five and twenty--in these eight years I have been in the midst of action. . . .”

Georgiana’s husband came from one of the country’s wealthiest and most prominent Whig families. But although he took part in politics, he shunned high office. Perhaps because of his diffidence, Georgiana threw her energies into supporting the revered Whig leader Charles James Fox. As Foreman shows us, the duchess’ advice to Fox and other political figures was generally sound and quite savvy. She had a gift for forging alliances, negotiating compromises and pouring oil on troubled waters. And she had a sense of patriotism that enabled her to see beyond petty rivalries.

Foreman has done a tremendous amount of research among primary sources and weaves these reams of raw material into a compelling story. Even readers who know little about late 18th century British history and politics will soon find themselves engrossed. Not only does Foreman have a knack for explaining things along the way, but she does it with clarity and brio. She is equally good at portraying Georgiana’s private life--which included a menage a trois with a woman who was the duke’s mistress and her own best friend. Unlike some biographers, who end up disillusioned with their subjects, Foreman seems never to lose her basic sympathy for Georgiana. The result is an exemplary work of biography as judicious as it is engaging.