Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Lady Catherine de Bourgh (née Fitzwilliam) is a character in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. According to Janet Todd, Lady Catherine de Bourgh can be seen as a foil to the novel's protagonist Elizabeth Bennet as Elizabeth is seen as wild while Lady Catherine is seen as strict to the rules of society and Elizabeth seems to contradict in her actions many of the ideals that Lady Catherine presents.

Family

Lady Catherine is the widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh. The two had a single daughter, Anne de Bourgh.

Lady Catherine was the sister of Lady Anne Darcy, mother of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Georgiana Darcy. Both Lady Catherine and Lady Anne were the daughters of an earl and their brother is the sitting earl during the events of the novel.  At the end of the novel, Lady Catherine becomes the aunt-in-law of Elizabeth Bennet after Elizabeth marries Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine desired to marry her own daughter Anne to Mr. Darcy. She also considers that Mr. Darcy is marrying someone much below him.

Lady Catherine is the daughter of an earl, thus she and her sister are always styled as Lady Catherine and Lady Anne, regardless of marriage. If she were not noble, she would be styled as Lady de Bourgh, since her husband was a knight.

Rosings
Rosings is the home of Catherine de Bourgh. It is noted many times within the novel as being a luxurious house with many fine fittings. One such feature is a fireplace with glazing worth over five hundred pounds. The elegance and correctness of Rosings underline the side of Mr. Darcy's background that impresses Elizabeth, although she refuses to be overawed by it.

Depictions in film and television

Film

Television