the duchess of cornwall laughs in light blue© Photo: Getty Images

Duchess of Cornwall makes cheeky quip about Colin Firth's iconic Pride and Prejudice wet shirt scene

She joked about the classic scene

Content Writer
April 6, 2022

The Duchess of Cornwall made a saucy joke about Jane Austen's brooding Pride and Prejudice hero, Mr Darcy, while visiting the author's former home on Wednesday.

As a voracious Austen reader, Camilla seemed excited to tour the late author's home in the village of Chawton, in Hampshire.

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The Duchess was shown clothing from recent screen adaptations of the author's work, including the famous white shirt worn by Colin Firth when he played Mr Darcy in the 1995 television version.

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She was rightfully dismayed to discover that the shirt was not attached to a real-life Mr Darcy, who famously emerges dripping from a lake in the show.

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Camilla fondly remembered the iconic scene featuring the Oscar award-winning actor - which arguably single-handedly managed to entice a new generation of readers into exploring Austen's works.

The Duchess of Cornwall is shown Mr Darcys shirt© Photo: Getty Images

The Duchess is shown the shirt worn by Colin Firth 

"But he's not in it, that's a bit sad," Camilla joked after being shown the shirt by the director of Jane Austen's House, Lizzie Dunford, who replied: "I know, that's sad, and it's not quite as damp as it was."

Prince Charles' wife quipped: "You could give it a good spray."

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Speaking about the famous white shirt, Lizzie explained to Camilla: "It's a wonderful artefact, one of the reasons we wanted to show it was that 1995 production was so transformative for people loving Pride and Prejudice."

© Photo: Getty Images

A young Colin Firth at a film premiere in 1996

News of the Duchess' amusing quip comes just days after she revealed in a short video filmed for her book club members that one of her dream dinner party guests would be Pride and Prejudice's loveable heroine, Elizabeth Bennett.

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"I'd have the Count of Monte Cristo. Then I'd have two rather devious characters to spice up the whole thing. I'd have Mrs Danvers, dressed in black, and I'd have Count Fosco from The Woman in White," Camilla said.

Explaining her choices, she said: "I think they'd cause quite a lot of trouble and I wanted somebody a bit different."

© Photo: Getty Images

The Duchess speaks to the director of Jane Austen's House, Lizzie Dunford

She added: "Then I'd have a heroine of mine, Elizabeth Bennett. Just a good strong woman to keep the show on the road, so to speak."

Jane Austen lived in Chawton alongside her mother and sister from 1809 until she died in 1817, during which time she worked on and published her six novels.

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