Harewood House & Pride and Prejudice: A Derbyshire Estate’s Complex History
Harewood House in West Yorkshire is preparing to step into the world of Jane Austen, set to feature as Pemberley in a latest Netflix adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, slated for release later this year. The stately home, a landmark of Georgian architecture, will provide the backdrop for the iconic estate of Mr. Darcy, transplanting the novel’s Derbyshire setting to Yorkshire.
Harewood House, acquired by the Lascelles family in 1738 with wealth derived from the West Indies, including the ownership of enslaved people and associated plantations, presents a complex historical context for its role in the romantic narrative. The estate’s website openly acknowledges this history and the current owners are cofounders of the Heirs of Slavery group, advocating for reparations to address the lasting effects of slavery. This acknowledgement adds a layer of contemporary relevance to the production, prompting reflection on the origins of inherited wealth and privilege.
Constructed between 1759 and 1771, Harewood House showcases interiors designed by Robert Adam and furniture crafted by Thomas Chippendale. Its art collection includes works by Sir Joshua Reynolds, J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. Reynolds’s 1762-64 painting, Mrs Hale as Euphrosyne, is prominently displayed in the Adam-designed music room, a space that historically held a specific social function within the grand estate.
Historian Mark Girouard, in his 1978 study Life in an English County House, detailed the multifaceted role of such estates. They functioned as centers of business and work, sustained by labor often originating in the Caribbean, whereas simultaneously serving as spaces for leisure and social interaction. Different activities were allocated to distinct areas within the house, reflecting the complex social hierarchy of the time.
The significance of spatial arrangement within these homes is further explored in Karen Lipsedge’s 2012 work, Domestic Space in the British Eighteenth-Century Novel, which examines the intersection of space and gender. The music room at Harewood, with Mrs Hale as Euphrosyne as its focal point, would have been a particularly significant space in this regard.
Great houses like Harewood were designed to impress and receive guests, navigating a delicate balance between privacy and public display. Access to different parts of the house signified varying degrees of intimacy and social standing. As depicted in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, characters like Lady Catherine de Bourgh understood this dynamic, attempting to assert their status by intruding into private spaces, though not always successfully.
In Austen’s novel, Elizabeth Bennet’s tour of Pemberley with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, occurs after Darcy’s initial, unsuccessful proposal. Initially preoccupied with his rejection and revelations about Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth finds herself captivated by the estate and contemplates the prospect of becoming its mistress. The novel emphasizes the views from Pemberley, rather than its opulent furnishings, as the primary source of its appeal.
The landscape surrounding Harewood House has evolved since Austen’s time. While remnants of Lancelot “Capability” Brown’s landscaping, including clumps of trees and the great lake, remain visible, Victorian alterations resulted in significant changes to the original design. The new adaptation will present a contemporary view of Harewood, raising questions about how the estate will be portrayed and what aspects will be emphasized to capture the spirit of Pemberley.
The production’s interpretation of Pemberley, and how Elizabeth Bennet’s perspective will be conveyed through the setting of Harewood House, remains to be seen. The question of what view from Harewood will ultimately capture Elizabeth’s attention, and signify Darcy’s redemption, is yet to be revealed.