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Monday, August 18, 2008, 12:00
The Duchess, due for release on September 5, stars Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, and was filmed at Chatsworth House where she lived.
Georgiana – who died in 1806, aged 49 – is buried in the Cavendish Vault at Derby Cathedral. Her husband, William, the 5th Duke of Devonshire – played by Ralph Fiennes – is also buried in the cathedral.
Now the cathedral, in Iron Gate, is in talks with Chatsworth House to see how it can exploit links with the film.
The Duchess is based on Amanda Foreman's best-selling biography of Georgiana, who was considered to be the original 'It girl'.
A direct ancestor of Princess Diana, Georgiana married young and had a tempestuous marriage. Her husband, William, had a long-standing affair with Georgiana's best friend, Elizabeth Foster – who is also buried in Derby Cathedral.
The Duchess was filmed on location at Kedleston Hall and Chatsworth House, the ancestral home of the Cavendish family and where the current Duke of Devonshire still lives.
Chatsworth is staging a special exhibition, Georgiana Duchess, with costumes and images from the film and some of Georgiana's personal items.
The current Duke of Devonshire, Peregrine Cavendish, said he hoped the exhibition and film would encourage more visitors to the stately home.
He said: "We hope that people who are intrigued when they see the film will make the trip to Chatsworth to discover more about the woman that still holds our interest some 200 years after she died."
With such a prominent connection to The Duchess, Derby Cathedral is also hoping to take full advantage of the publicity the film will bring.
Visitors to the cathedral can currently see Georgiana's coffin plate on the wall and visit the outer part of the Cavendish vault, which is now a small crypt chapel.
The cathedral is planning other events and attractions.
David Stanbridge, senior executive officer at the cathedral, said: "This is a great opportunity to promote the cathedral and it's something tangible for the public to relate to.
"Georgiana's coffin plate is on display so anyone can come in and see it, but we are hoping to do something more to tie in with the film."
The cathedral has previously worked with Chatsworth on its exhibition on the silverware and needlework of Bess of Hardwick, who built both Chatsworth House and Hardwick Hall and is buried in a vault in the cathedral.
Mr Stanbridge said he hoped the partnership would continue with The Duchess film.
He said: "We hope to work with Chatsworth House to produce something exciting."
It is not the first time locations in Derbyshire have been used in popular films. Both Chatsworth and Sudbury Hall were used in another Knightley film, Pride and Prejudice, and Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall also appeared in The Chronicles of Narnia in 2005.
A report commissioned by the UK Film Council in 2007 found East Midlands' locations profited after being used in films. Lincoln Cathedral saw a 26% increase in visitors after the release of The Da Vinci Code.
film star: Keira Knightley will play Georgiana in her latest period drama movie
