The Duke of Marlborough is facing three charges of intentional strangulation and is set to make a court appearance this week.
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a descendant of Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, has been accused of three offenses occurring between November 2022 and May 2024, as stated by Thames Valley Police. The 70-year-old, known as Jamie within his family, is scheduled to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following his arrest on May 13 last year.
According to authorities, the three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation are alleged to have happened in Woodstock and Oxfordshire, involving the same individual. Spencer-Churchill, the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a member of a prominent British aristocratic family, resides in the historic Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, which is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.
A representative of the foundation stated, “Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation acknowledges the legal proceedings against the Duke of Marlborough. As these charges pertain to the duke’s personal behavior and private life, currently subject to ongoing criminal proceedings, the foundation refrains from commenting. It is important to note that the Duke of Marlborough does not oversee or own the foundation, which is operated by independent entities governed by boards of trustees.”
Inheriting his title in 2014 following his father’s passing, Spencer-Churchill, previously known as Jamie Blandford, has familial ties to both Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. Despite his noble status, he does not have any involvement in the management of Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its parklands designed by “Capability” Brown.
In recent years, Blenheim Palace has hosted significant events, such as a reception for European leaders by the King in July 2024 and the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston by the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2015. The palace also made headlines in 2019 when a gang of thieves stole a £4.75 million golden toilet during a daring heist at the premises.
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