Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Duchess

  • 20082008
  • 14A14A
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,163
172
Ralph Fiennes, Keira Knightley, Dominic Cooper, and Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)
The Duchess - Theatrical Trailer
Play trailer1:47
3 Videos
99+ Photos
BiographyDramaHistory
A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.A chronicle of the life of 18th-century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
85K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,163
172
    • Saul Dibb
  • Writers
    • Jeffrey Hatcher(screenplay)
    • Anders Thomas Jensen(screenplay)
    • Saul Dibb(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Keira Knightley
    • Ralph Fiennes
    • Dominic Cooper
    • Saul Dibb
  • Writers
    • Jeffrey Hatcher(screenplay)
    • Anders Thomas Jensen(screenplay)
    • Saul Dibb(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Keira Knightley
    • Ralph Fiennes
    • Dominic Cooper
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 175User reviews
    • 120Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar

    Videos3

    The Duchess
    Trailer 1:47
    Watch The Duchess
    The Duchess
    Clip 1:10
    Watch The Duchess
    The Duchess: Costumes (Exclusive)
    Clip 0:57
    Watch The Duchess: Costumes (Exclusive)

    Photos191

    Keira Knightley and Dominic Cooper in The Duchess (2008)
    Ralph Fiennes in The Duchess (2008)
    Keira Knightley and Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)
    Keira Knightley and Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)
    Saul Dibb in The Duchess (2008)
    Keira Knightley and Saul Dibb in The Duchess (2008)
    Keira Knightley in The Duchess (2008)
    Dominic Cooper in The Duchess (2008)
    Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)
    Charlotte Rampling in The Duchess (2008)
    Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightley in The Duchess (2008)
    Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Keira Knightley, and Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Keira Knightley
    Keira Knightley
    • Georgiana
    Ralph Fiennes
    Ralph Fiennes
    • The Duke
    Dominic Cooper
    Dominic Cooper
    • Charles Grey
    Charlotte Rampling
    Charlotte Rampling
    • Lady Spencer
    Hayley Atwell
    Hayley Atwell
    • Bess Foster
    Simon McBurney
    Simon McBurney
    • Charles Fox
    Aidan McArdle
    Aidan McArdle
    • Richard Sheridan
    John Shrapnel
    John Shrapnel
    • General Grey
    Alistair Petrie
    Alistair Petrie
    • Heaton
    Patrick Godfrey
    Patrick Godfrey
    • Dr. Neville
    Michael Medwin
    Michael Medwin
    • Speechmaker
    Justin Edwards
    Justin Edwards
    • Macaroni
    Richard McCabe
    Richard McCabe
    • Sir James Hare
    Calvin Dean
    Calvin Dean
    • Devonshire House Servant
    Hannah Stokely
    • Devonshire House Maid
    Andrew Armour
    • Burleigh
    • (as Andy Armour)
    Emily Jewell
    • Nanny
    Bruce Mackinnon
    Bruce Mackinnon
    • Sir Peter Teazle
    • (as Bruce MacKinnon)
      • Saul Dibb
    • Writers
      • Jeffrey Hatcher(screenplay)
      • Anders Thomas Jensen(screenplay)
      • Saul Dibb(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The real Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were 25 and 17 when they married, and were 8 years apart in age. The actors Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightley are 23 years apart.
    • Goofs
      Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire was born in 1757. Charles Grey was seven years younger, born in 1764. According to the subtitle, the scene depicting a wager among the young ladies over a footrace between Charles Grey and other young men was held in 1774. Georgiana was correctly seventeen at the time, but Charles Grey was ten. He would have been a boy, not the young man about to attend Cambridge portrayed in the film.
    • Quotes

      Duke of Devonshire: This will be the mistake of your life.

      Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire: No, I made that many years ago. I trust you can see yourself out.

    • Alternate versions
      Paramount Vantage preferred a PG-13 version for the United States and in order to get that rating some cuts and alternate shots were used.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Orange British Academy Film Awards (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Allemande from French Suite V in G Major
      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

    User reviews175

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Knightley terrific
    It's 1774 England. Georgiana (Keira Knightley) is arranged by her mother Lady Spencer (Charlotte Rampling) to marry the older Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish (Ralph Fiennes). She is eager for high society but finds him personally cold. He brings in a girl who is probably his bastard child. He is bitter that Georgiana delivers him a girl. She becomes a popular figure. She befriends Lady Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell) who is desperate to get back her children from her abusive husband. The Duke starts an affair with Bess in a long line of many mistresses and he is able to get her back her children. Georgiana starts her own affair with Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper).

    This is a solid costume drama anchored by a powerful performance from Knightley. The other cast members also deliver led by Fiennes. He is a layered villain and a real human being. Atwell is also great as her character is caught up in an impossible situation. This is a slow deliberate burn. The beauty of the costumes hide an ugliness underneath it all.
    helpful•12
    1
    • SnoopyStyle
    • Feb 27, 2016

    FAQ9

    • Is "The Duchess" based on a book?
    • What did the Duchess of Devonshire do to warrant having a movie made about her?
    • How was Georgiana related to Diana, Princess of Wales?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 3, 2008 (Canada)
      • United Kingdom
      • Italy
      • France
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • BBC Films (United Kingdom)
      • Pathé International (France)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Somerset House, Strand, London, England, UK(Devonshire House exteriors)
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Vantage
      • Pathé
      • BBC Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 50 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Ralph Fiennes, Keira Knightley, Dominic Cooper, and Hayley Atwell in The Duchess (2008)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to The Duchess (2008) in India?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.