Duke of Marlborough charged with intentional strangulation offences

The Duke of Marlborough, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, has been charged with intentional strangulation.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three offences between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.

The 70-year-old has been summonsed to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following his arrest on May 13 last year.

The three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation are alleged to have taken place in in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, against the same person.

Spencer-Churchill, known to his family as Jamie, is the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a member of one of Britain’s most aristocratic families.

He is well known to have had a long battle with drug addiction in the past.

Related to wartime prime minister Sir Winston – a first cousin, three times removed – and also distantly to Diana through the Spencer line, Spencer-Churchill inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

Prior to this, the twice-married Spencer-Churchill was the Marquess of Blandford, and also known as Jamie Blandford.

His ancestral family home is the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace – Sir Winston’s birthplace – in Woodstock.

But the duke does not own the 18th century baroque palace – and has no role in the running of the residence and vast estate, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site and a popular visitor attraction with parklands designed by “Capability” Brown.

In 1994, the late duke brought legal action to ensure his son and heir would not be able to take control of the family seat.

Blenheim is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

A spokesperson for the foundation said: “Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware legal proceedings have been brought against the Duke of Marlborough.

“The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke’s personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings.

“The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees.”

The King hosted a reception at Blenheim Palace for European leaders in July 2024, and the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined Spencer-Churchill for the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston in the grounds of Blenheim in 2015.

The palace was also the scene of the theft of a £4.75 million golden toilet in 2019 after a gang of thieves smashed their way into the palace during a brazen heist and ripped out the fully-functioning 18-carat gold lavatory.

The duke’s representatives have been approached for comment.