A Very British Scandal

Margaret, sometime Duchess of Argyll, was a rich, beautiful, and utterly entitled woman; her marriage to the Duke, a spendthrift drunk, was a disaster. We know about it because their divorce became a matter of media scandal and was even brought into the enquiry that followed the Profumo affair. The way our society shamed (and continues to shame) women for their sexuality is appalling; nonetheless, it is hard to avoid concluding that someone who beleives in their absolute right to do as they please is ultimately going to face consequences (even if, in a decent world, these would have been entirely private). As Duke and Duchess, Paul Bettany and Clare Foy are both really good in this reconstuction of events; although the theme of the story is essentially that it's a matter of public interest that something of no legitimate public interest was treated as if this was not the case. Amazingly, wholly no-fault divorce is only going to become a reality in British law in 2022.

Foy and Bettany kick acting arse in their depictions of two dislikeable people in a marriage from hell. Excellent supporting performances from the rest of the cast make this drama a 'must watch'. Acting awards for the 'Duke and Duchess' to follow please!

Clare Foy is a joy to watch. It's very hard to take one's eyes of the screen when she is present. I thoroughly enjoyed the drama I just wished it had more of their back story. Why was the Dutchess the way she was etc.

I'd like to know two things:

1) why didn't her father (or she) sue the Duke for all the money?

2) how many affairs did the Judge have before and after the trial?

Wanted to like this as I've enjoyed the writer's Agatha Christie adaptations in recent years and I'm a big fan of both Claire Foy and Paul Bettany. The acting and cast were very good but for me the story would have worked better if an older actress had played the Duchess (She was in her 50's at time of the trial.)

It was stylish all round, well written and fashionably directed and photographed, soundtrack was a bit patchy with some anachronistic tunes.

My main problem was that both characters were entitled dislikeable aristocrats, he was obviously a rotter, but she wasn't much better. In the end I wasn't that bothered what happened to either of them, so for me a slightly disappointed 6/10.

Perhaps its time to put the British Aristocracy back in the cupboard and tell some new and untold original stories about ordinary Britain's past and present. Brideshead still gets revisited a little too often.