Biography
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough, was born 24 November 1955 in Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom to John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough (1926-2014) and Susan Mary Hornby (1929-2005) . He married Rebecca Mary Few Brown (1957) 24 February 1990 in Church of St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom. He married Edla Griffiths (1968) 1 March 2002 in Woodstock Register Office, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom.
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (born 24 November 1955), styled Earl of Sunderland until March 1972 and Marquess of Blandford until October 2014, and often known as Jamie Blandford or Jamie Marlborough, is an English peer and the current Duke of Marlborough.
He is the eldest surviving son of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife, Susan Mary Hornby. As a member of the Spencer family, he is a distant relative of the war-time Conservative Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and of Diana, Princess of Wales, born Lady Diana Spencer. He is also a stepbrother of the late Christina Onassis, who was the step daughter of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who was once married to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, by the second marriage of his father with Athina Livanos.
Biography
Born in Oxford,[1] he was educated at Harrow School[2] and the Royal Agricultural College.[3] In a bid to safeguard the Blenheim Palace estate from the then Marquess's excessive behaviour, his father won a court battle in 1994 to ensure he never won control of the family seat, but their relationship may have improved later.[4]
In 1995, he spent a month in prison for forging prescriptions.[5] In September 2007, he was sentenced to six months in jail on two counts of dangerous driving and one of criminal damage following a "road rage" attack on another motorist's car.[6] At the same time, he was banned from driving for three and a half years.[7]
Dukedom of Marlborough
Arms of Churchill
Duke of Marlborough is a title of English Peerage created by Queen Anne in 1702 for John Churchill the noted military leader. The name of the dukedom refers to Marlborough in Wiltshire. A good number of their descendants have married into many of the other noble hours of England.
The title Marquess of Blandford is used as the courtesy title for the Duke's eldest son and heir. The Duke's eldest son's eldest son can use the courtesy title Earl of Sunderland, and the duke's eldest son's eldest son's eldest son (not necessarily the eldest great-grandson) the title Lord Spencer of Wormleighton (not to be confused with Earl Spencer).
On the death of his father in 2014, the Oxford Mail noted the new duke's "well-publicised drug addiction" and reported that a spokesman for Blenheim Palace had said "the Palace will remain under the control of trustees", but that the 12th Duke could himself become one of the trustees.[8] The Daily Telegraph reported that "The responsibility of maintaining one of Britain's grandest country houses for future generations now passes to 58-year-old Jamie Blandford, as he is commonly known, following a remarkable turnaround in his relationship with his late father, who once described him as the 'black sheep' of his family."[9]
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace, built between 1705 and 1722 for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), is the principal residence for the family of the Duke of Marlborough. It is one of England's largest homes, and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is the final resting place of several members of the family.
Television appearance
On 24 June 2009, he appeared in a BBC Television documentary, Famous, Rich and Homeless, in which famous people were filmed spending three nights in the open with nothing but a sleeping bag, though he refused to "sleep rough". He claimed that on the first night he slept in the car park of a five-star hotel, though his sleeping bag was discovered unopened, and on the second night he demanded to be housed in a hotel. He refused to participate further despite giving an assurance that he would sleep rough on the third night, and ended his participation on that night. Another participant, Hardeep Singh Kohli, said that Blandford's behaviour was "disrespectful to all the people out there".[10]
Marriages and issue
1st Marriage: Rebecca Brown
His first wife was Rebecca Mary Few Brown (1957) (born September 1957, Bangor, Wales). They were married on 24 February 1990 at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Woodstock. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1998. They had one son, who is now heir apparent to the Dukedom of Marlborough:
- George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (born 28 July 1992), who went by the courtesy title Earl of Sunderland until his father's accession to the dukedom in 2014.
2nd Marriage : Edla Griffiths
His second wife is Edla Griffiths (1968) (born 1968, Abergavenny, Wales), whom he married at Woodstock Register Office on 1 March 2002. They have two children:
- Lady Araminta Clementine Megan Spencer-Churchill (2007) (born 8 April 2007)
- Lord Caspar Sasha Ivor Spencer-Churchill (2008) (born 18 October 2008) - he is second in the line of succession to the Dukedom of Marlborough.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill (1992) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Araminta Clementine Megan Spencer-Churchill (2007) | |||
| Caspar Sasha Ivor Spencer-Churchill (2008) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill (1952-1955) | 17 November 1952 Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | 14 May 1955 Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | |
| Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (1955) | 24 November 1955 Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom | Rebecca Mary Few Brown (1957) Edla Griffiths (1968) | |
| Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (1958) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Richard Spencer-Churchill (1973-1973) | |||
| Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (1974) | |||
Titles and styles
- 24 November 1955 – 11 March 1972: Earl of Sunderland
- 11 March 1972 – 16 October 2014: Marquess of Blandford
- 16 October 2014 – present: His Grace The Duke of Marlborough
Arms
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See also
- James Spencer-Churchill
- Spencer-Churchill in Oxfordshire
- British nobility
- This profile prepared courtesy of World of Scouting Members, helping to preserve our shared heritage.
Notes
- ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=FkFGZUdiM3EFvUEeAqxdyw&scan=1. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ^ Nicholas Wroe (28 August 2009). "A Life in Writing". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/aug/29/francis-wheen-life-in-writing. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ Emma Brockes (10 December 2002). "Cream of the crop". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/dec/10/furthereducation.uk7. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ "Duke of Marlborough dies at 88". The Guardian. 16 October 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/16/duke-of-marlborough-dies-at-88. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ^ "Marquess of Blandford admits 'road rage'". The Daily Telegraph. 7 August 2007. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1559626/Marquess-of-Blandford-admits-road-rage.html. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ^ ""'Road Rage' Marquess Sent to Jail". BBC News. 10 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/6987095.stm.
- ^ "Blandford sent back to prison over road-rage attack on driver". The Independent. 10 September 2007. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/blandford-sent-back-to-prison-over-road-rage-attack-on-driver-401961.html. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ Ffrench, A. (17 October 2014). "Son inherits 12th Duke of Marlborough title but Blenheim Palace stays with trustees". Oxford Mail. http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/top_news/11541289.Son_inherits_12th_Duke_of_Marlborough_title_but_Blenheim_Palace_stays_with_trustees. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ^ Raynor, G.. "Former drug addict and ex-convict Jamie Blandford becomes 12th Duke of Marlborough after father dies". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/11168207/Former-drug-addict-and-ex-convict-Jamie-Blandford-becomes-12th-Duke-of-Marlborough-after-father-dies.html. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ^ "TV review: Famous, Rich and Homeless (BBC One) – Nasa – Triumph and Tragedy (BBC Two)". The Daily Telegraph. 24 June 2009. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/5626718/TV-review-Famous-Rich-and-Homeless-BBC-One---Nasa---Triumph-and-Tragedy-BBC-Two.html.
Footnotes (including sources)
| ‡ General |
| Peerage of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Spencer-Churchill |
Duke of Marlborough 2014–present |
Incumbent |
Order of precedence in the United Kingdom
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| Preceded by The Duke of Devonshire |
Gentlemen The Duke of Marlborough |
Succeeded by The Duke of Rutland |
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