Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough
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Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough KG
, PC (13 November 1871 – 30 June 1934), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1883 and Marquess of Blandford between 1883 and 1892, was a British soldier and Conservative
politician. He was often known as "Sunny" Marlborough after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland.
, India
, Marlborough was the only son of George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough
, and Lady Albertha Frances Anne, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
. He was a nephew of Lord Randolph Churchill
and a first cousin of Winston Churchill
. He was educated at Winchester
and Trinity College, Cambridge
.
on the early death of his father in 1892 and made his maiden speech in August 1895. In 1899 he was appointed Paymaster-General
by Lord Salisbury
, a post he held until 1902, and was then Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
under Arthur Balfour
between 1903 and 1905. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1899. He again held political office during the First World War when he was Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
between 1917 and 1918 in David Lloyd George
's coalition government
. He made his last speech in the House of Lords in December 1931.
Marlborough was also Lord High Steward
at the coronation of Edward VII
in 1902, Mayor of Woodstock
between 1907 and 1908 and Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
between 1915 and 1934. In 1902 he was made a Knight of the Garter
.
and fought in the Second Boer War
as a Staff Captain in the Imperial Yeomanry
and as Assistant Military Secretary to Lord Roberts
; he was mentioned in despatches. He returned to active service in the First World War, when he served as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the General Staff.
Marlborough was married twice. His first wife was the American
railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt
, whom he married at Saint Thomas Church in New York City, on 6 November 1895. They had two sons, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
, eventually the 10th Duke of Marlborough, and Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
. (Their mother famously referred to them as "the heir and the spare.") The Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace
and replenish its furnishings and library, as many of the original contents had been sold over the course of the 19th century. Many of the jewels worn by subsequent Duchesses of Marlborough also date from this period. The 9th Duke employed the landscape gardener Achille Duchene
to create the water garden on the terrace at Blenheim. However, the couple were divorced in 1921 and the marriage was annulled by the Vatican
five years later.
Marlbrough then married another American, Gladys Marie Deacon, in 1921. She was a daughter of Edward Parker Deacon and the former Florence Baldwin. Artistic and a keen gardener, she had enlarged images of her startling blue-green eyes painted on the ceiling of the main portico of Blenheim Palace, where they remain today. Later in their unhappy, childless marriage, she kept a revolver in her bedroom to prevent her husband's entry.
The couple separated but never divorced.
At the time of his death, the duke reportedly was negotiating to enter a Catholic religious order in Italy, having converted to that religion late in life.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, PC (13 November 1871 – 30 June 1934), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1883 and Marquess of Blandford between 1883 and 1892, was a British soldier and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He was often known as "Sunny" Marlborough after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland.
Background and education
Born at SimlaShimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Marlborough was the only son of George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough
George Charles Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough DL , styled Earl of Sunderland until 1857 and Marquess of Blandford between 1857 and 1883, was a British peer.-Background and education:...
, and Lady Albertha Frances Anne, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn KG PC , styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and the Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative politician and statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.In 1860, The Times noted that Hamilton was one of only three to...
. He was a nephew of Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
and a first cousin of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. He was educated at Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
Political career
Marlborough entered the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on the early death of his father in 1892 and made his maiden speech in August 1895. In 1899 he was appointed Paymaster-General
Paymaster-General
HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. The Paymaster General is in charge of the Office of HM Paymaster General , which held accounts at the Bank of England on behalf of Government departments and selected other public bodies...
by Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
, a post he held until 1902, and was then Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State....
under Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
between 1903 and 1905. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1899. He again held political office during the First World War when he was Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries was a junior ministerial office in the British government, serving under the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries...
between 1917 and 1918 in David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
's coalition government
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
. He made his last speech in the House of Lords in December 1931.
Marlborough was also Lord High Steward
Lord High Steward
The position of Lord High Steward of England is the first of the Great Officers of State. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, except at coronations and during the trials of peers in the House of Lords, when the Lord High Steward presides. In general, but not invariably, the Lord...
at the coronation of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in 1902, Mayor of Woodstock
Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Woodstock is a small town northwest of Oxford in Oxfordshire, England. It is the location of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Winston Churchill was born in Blenheim Palace in 1874 and is buried in the nearby village of Bladon....
between 1907 and 1908 and Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Oxfordshire.*Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk 1545*vacant?*Sir Francis Knollys in 1565...
between 1915 and 1934. In 1902 he was made a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
.
Military career
Marlborough was an officer in the Queen's Own Oxfordshire HussarsQueen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars
The Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars was the designated name of a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army between 1888 and 1922. In response a call by the government for troops of volunteers to be formed in the shires, meeting of “Nobility, Gentry, Freeholders and Yeomanry” was called at the Star Inn...
and fought in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
as a Staff Captain in the Imperial Yeomanry
Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a British volunteer cavalry regiment that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Officially created on 24 December 1899, the regiment was based on members of standing Yeomanry regiments, but also contained a large contingent of mid-upper class English volunteers. In...
and as Assistant Military Secretary to Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
; he was mentioned in despatches. He returned to active service in the First World War, when he served as a Lieutenant-Colonel on the General Staff.
Family
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Vanderbilt
Consuelo Balsan , was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family...
, whom he married at Saint Thomas Church in New York City, on 6 November 1895. They had two sons, John Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough
John Albert William Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1934, was a British peer....
, eventually the 10th Duke of Marlborough, and Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
The Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill was the younger son of the 9th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife, the former Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American railroad heiress....
. (Their mother famously referred to them as "the heir and the spare.") The Vanderbilt dowry was used to restore Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
and replenish its furnishings and library, as many of the original contents had been sold over the course of the 19th century. Many of the jewels worn by subsequent Duchesses of Marlborough also date from this period. The 9th Duke employed the landscape gardener Achille Duchene
Achille Duchêne
Achille Duchêne was a French garden designer who worked in the grand manner established by André Le Nôtre. The son of the landscaper...
to create the water garden on the terrace at Blenheim. However, the couple were divorced in 1921 and the marriage was annulled by the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
five years later.
Marlbrough then married another American, Gladys Marie Deacon, in 1921. She was a daughter of Edward Parker Deacon and the former Florence Baldwin. Artistic and a keen gardener, she had enlarged images of her startling blue-green eyes painted on the ceiling of the main portico of Blenheim Palace, where they remain today. Later in their unhappy, childless marriage, she kept a revolver in her bedroom to prevent her husband's entry.
The couple separated but never divorced.
At the time of his death, the duke reportedly was negotiating to enter a Catholic religious order in Italy, having converted to that religion late in life.