John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
Encyclopedia
John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, DL
, JP
(born 13 April 1926), is the son of Lt.-Col. John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough
and his wife, Hon. Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan. His principal seat is Blenheim Palace
, in Woodstock
, Oxfordshire
. He is also a relation of The Duke of Devonshire
and generational cousin of the war-time Conservative
Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill
. He is also a distant relative of Diana, Princess of Wales
as both belong to the Spencer family
.
The Duke of Marlborough ranked 224th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2004
, with an estimated wealth of £185m. He allowed Kenneth Branagh
to film his production of Hamlet
at the ducal palace of Blenheim
, and appeared in a small cameo in the motion picture.
2. He then married Athina Onassis
, née Livanos, former wife of Aristotle Onassis
, and daughter of Stavros Livanos. They were married from 1961 until their divorce in 1971. The marriage produced no children.
3. Thirdly, he married Countess Rosita Douglas-Stjernorp, daughter of ambassador Count Carl Douglas-Stjernorp and Ottora Haas-Heye on 20 May 1972. They divorced in 2008. They have three children:
4. The Duke married fourthly 3 December 2008 in the Private Chapel at Blenheim Mrs Lily Mahtani née Sahni (born ca. 1957 Iran), former wife of Ratan Mahtani, a wealthy India
n expatriate businessman, by whom she had three children.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(born 13 April 1926), is the son of Lt.-Col. John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough
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....
and his wife, Hon. Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan. His principal seat is 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...
, in 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....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. He is also a relation of The Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
and generational cousin of the war-time 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...
Prime Minister, Sir 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 is also a distant relative of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
as both belong to the Spencer family
Spencer family
The Spencer family are a British noble family descended in the male line from Henry Spencer, claimed to be a descendant of the cadet branch of the ancient House Le Despencer , male-line ancestor of the Earls of Sunderland, the later Dukes of Marlborough, and the Earls Spencer...
.
The Duke of Marlborough ranked 224th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2004
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
, with an estimated wealth of £185m. He allowed Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
to film his production of Hamlet
Hamlet (1996 film)
Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the title role as Prince Hamlet...
at the ducal palace of Blenheim
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 appeared in a small cameo in the motion picture.
Spouses and children
1. The then Marquess of Blandford married Susan Mary Hornby, daughter of Michael Charles St. John Hornby and Nicolette Joan Ward on 19 October 1951. They divorced in 1961. The Marquess and Marchioness had three children:- John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (1952–1955)
- Charles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of BlandfordJamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of BlandfordCharles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford , commonly known as Jamie Blandford, is an English aristocrat and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Marlborough ....
(born 1955) - The Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (born 1958)
2. He then married Athina Onassis
Athina Livanos
Athina Mary Livanos Onassis Spencer-Churchill Niarchos was the second daughter of the Greek shipping magnate Stavros Livanos. She was best known as the first wife of Aristotle Onassis, but she later married her older sister Eugenia's widower, Stavros Niarchos...
, née Livanos, former wife of Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Sokratis Onassis , commonly called Ari or Aristo Onassis, was a prominent Greek shipping magnate.- Early life :Onassis was born in Karatass, a suburb of Smyrna to Socrates and Penelope Onassis...
, and daughter of Stavros Livanos. They were married from 1961 until their divorce in 1971. The marriage produced no children.
3. Thirdly, he married Countess Rosita Douglas-Stjernorp, daughter of ambassador Count Carl Douglas-Stjernorp and Ottora Haas-Heye on 20 May 1972. They divorced in 2008. They have three children:
- Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill (born and died 1973)
- Lord Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1974)
- The Lady Alexandra Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill (born 1977)
4. The Duke married fourthly 3 December 2008 in the Private Chapel at Blenheim Mrs Lily Mahtani née Sahni (born ca. 1957 Iran), former wife of Ratan Mahtani, a wealthy 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...
n expatriate businessman, by whom she had three children.
Titles
- Earl of SunderlandEarl of SunderlandEarl of Sunderland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1627 in favour of Emanuel Scrope, 12th Baron Scrope of Bolton. The earldom became extinct on his death in 1630 while the barony became either extinct or dormant...
(1926–1934) - Marquess of Blandford (1934–1972)
- His GraceGrace (style)His Grace or Her Grace is a style used for various high ranking personages. It was the style used to address the King or Queen of Scotland up to the Act of Union of 1707, which merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, and to address monarchs of England prior to Henry VIII...
The Duke of Marlborough (1972–)
External links
- Cast of Branagh's Hamlet
- Elizabeth Sanderson. "How a Persian beauty reunited the grumpy Duke with black sheep son he disinherited" Daily Mail 17 August 2008. The article online also includes photographs of Jamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of BlandfordJamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of BlandfordCharles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford , commonly known as Jamie Blandford, is an English aristocrat and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Marlborough ....
, his second wife Edla, and his elder son George. - James Reginato. "Magnificent Obsession" Vanity Fair June 2011