 Women in the 18th century
It was only to be expected that the new Hollywood film about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, would emphasise the glamorous aspects of 18th century women’s lives – with much attention lavished on fashion and romance. But what was it really like to be an aristocratic woman at that time, and how did the political context affect their attempts to find a voice? Jenni is joined by Amanda Foreman, Georgiana’s biographer, and by the historian Amanda Vickery, to find out more.
The image - Georgiana (Spencer), Duchess of Devonshire, published 1870 by Robert Bowyer Parkes, after Thomas Gainsborough is reproduced with the kind permission of the National Portrait Gallery, London
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