royal intrigue... minor spoilers

Rating: 6/10 (8 April 2020)

SPOILERS - not much has changed in a couple hundred years in merry old england... the same (unfair) rules for the royals of the 1700s still apply today, specifically for prince charles and diana. in this story, the duke ( Ralph Fiennes) is allowed to have his mistress, living in the palace with them, no less! but due to the rules, the duchess (Keira Knightley) can't even meet with her lover. Dominic Cooper is commoner Charles Grey, with dreams of becoming the prime minister. The story is pretty plain and simple. the only surprise here is that the duke's mistress has an unusual sympathy for the duchess, and stands up for her a couple times. The much-accomplished Charlotte Rampling almost steals the show, as the Duchess' mother, even though she only has a couple lines. It's pretty good, for a period piece. no big surprises, but i guess they DID have to stick to the actual history.