Keira Knightley and 'The Duchess': posted by Simon Seligman

Anticipation is mounting now that we know 'The Duchess', the film based on the life of Georgiana, wife of the 5th Duke, will be released in the UK on 5th September. We are working on a special display about the real Duchess Georgiana, to go on view to visitors in August, together, we hope, with some of the costumes Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes wear in the film. Talking to the film's costume designer, it is interesting to hear how he took inspiration from some of the original portraits of Georgiana that will be on display here - fabulous hats, spectacular dresses - all worn with the style that made her famous, and which the film has matched. Once the film does come out, we will also see how much of the complex, controversial and sometimes desperate life Georgiana led, has been captured. Sex, gambling, politics, love, royalty, deception; all the ingredients for a modern gossip magazine, lived out for real in the 18th century.

Simon Seligman, Head of Communications

A Headless Henry VIII: posted by Claire Fowler

The twists and turns of Chatsworth’s corridors often feel like something out of Harry Potter, leading you past a procession of ever weirder and more wonderful things. Mysterious unfinished paintings, curious Victorian inventions and half-dismantled sculptures merge in the shadows into a storybook backdrop which I think perfectly suits Chatsworth’s magical personality. You never know what to expect. (It’s fantastic that more and more people are able to walk these corridors on the Behind the Scenes tours.)

A headless Henry VIII was among the things I didn’t expect to see on my walk to the office this morning. He is waiting quietly outside the joiner’s shop beside a huge, menacing set of Tudor stocks, before they both take centre-stage at this weekend’s Tudor festival in the garden. I’m preparing myself for more strange sightings as the festival approaches and the garden fills up with terrible Tudors! Everybody who comes to Chatsworth this weekend will see what I mean!

Claire Fowler, Education Officer for The Devonshire Educational Trust

A Giant Water Lily kindly donated by Royal Botanic Garden Kew: posted by Steve Porter

We have taken delivery of a young Giant Water Lily plant (Victoria amazonica), which has been kindly donated by Royal Botanic Garden Kew.

The plant has been placed in the Display House where it will acclimatise before starting its rapid annual growth, filling the heated pool and hopefully producing flowers later in the year. The Lily is native to South America and is grown as an annual in this country meaning that we have to re-plant at the start of every year.

Victoria amazonica is particularly important to us at Chatsworth as when this plant was first introduced to this country in 1846 it grew strongly at Kew but would not flower. A plant was sent to Chatsworth in 1849 and under the care of Joseph Paxton, Head Gardener to the 6th Duke of Devonshire, the plant flourished in a specially built Lily House. This plant was the first to flower in the country and was presented by Joseph Paxton to Queen Victoria after which it is named.

Due to narrow paths and heat loss this glass house is not accessible to the public but please peer in to see the Lily grow, and do visit the newly opened 1st Dukes Glass house.

Steve Porter, Assistant Head of Gardens