No this isn’t some form of sexual encounter or drugs slang…instead it is much more mundane – visiting locations where the 2008 film The Duchess was filmed. For those of you who might have missed this rather enjoyable film it is the story of wife of the fifth Duke of Devonshire, a sort of proto Princess Diana, who was played by Keira Knightly. It marked a turning point in Ms Knightly’s film career as before then most of her film performances had been average at best. Even in Ms Knightley’s fore runner to The Duchess, Pride and Prejudice, she was acted off the screen by many of the supporting actors. However, in my opinion the starring role went to Donald Sutherland’s dentures who stole every scene they were in. This is totally unfair and just a little bitchy so I’m sorry for the remark but watch the film and you’ll see what I mean.
Any back to Bagging The Duchess. Over the weekend I’ve been in Bath, a Georgian film set in waiting, and looking the through the images it stuck me just how many of the location for the Duchess I had visited. So I have trawled through the archive and here are a few of the locations. For your information they are:
- The Royal Navel Hospital, Greenwich
- Chatsworth House
- Kedleston Hall
- The Royal Crescent, Bath
- Holburne Museum, Bath.
I also made a painting of Ms Knightly, who for some reason I find very difficult to get a reasonable likeness – funny that.
