Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough
| Her Grace The Duchess of Marlborough |
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| Born | Henrietta Churchill 19 July 1681 |
| Died | 24 October 1733 (aged 52) Harrow, Middlesex Great Britain |
| Resting place | Westminster Abbey |
| Title | Duchess of Marlborough |
| Tenure | 1722-1733 |
| Other titles | The Viscountess Rialton (by courtesy) The Countess of Godolphin (by marriage) Princess of the Holy Roman Empire Princess Henrietta of Mindelheim The Marchioness of Blandford The Earl of Marlborough The Lady Churchill |
| Nationality |  Great Britain |
| Predecessor | John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough |
| Successor | Charles Spencer |
| Heir | Charles Spencer, nephew |
| Spouse(s) | The Earl of Godolphin |
| Issue |
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| Parents | John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough |
Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (19 July 1681 – 24 October 1733) was the daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, general of the army, and Sarah Jennings, Duchess of Marlborough, close friend and business manager of Queen Anne.
She was born Henrietta Churchill, and became The Hon. Henrietta Churchill when her father was made a Scottish Lord of Parliament in 1682 and Lady Henrietta Churchill in 1689, when her father was created Earl of Marlborough. She married The Hon. Francis Godolphin in 1698, becoming Lady Henrietta Godolphin. She became Viscountess Rialton in 1706 when her father-in-law was created Earl of Godolphin, and Countess of Godolphin in 1712 when her husband succeeded as 2nd Earl of Godolphin.
An act of English parliament in 1706 allowed the 1st duke's daughters to inherit his English titles. Following his death in 1722, Lady Godolphin became suo jure Duchess of Marlborough.
She bore five children during her marriage to Lord Godolphin:
- William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford (c. 1700–1731), married Maria Catherina de Jong, no issue
- Lord Henry Godolphin (b. c. 1700)
- Lady Margaret Godolphin (b. c. 1703)
- Lady Henrietta Godolphin (d. 1776), married the 1st Duke of Newcastle, no issue[1]
- Lady Mary Godolphin (1723–1764), married the 4th Duke of Leeds and had issue. (It is strongly suspected that Lady Mary Godolphin was not the daughter of the 2nd Earl of Godolphin, but rather of the Duchess of Marlborough's lover, the playwright William Congreve.)
The Duchess died in 1733, aged 52, in Harrow, Middlesex, and she was buried on 9 November 1733 in Westminster Abbey. Her titles passed to her nephew, the 5th Earl of Sunderland.
[edit] Titles and styles
- 1681 - 1689: The Honourable Henrietta Churchill
- 1689 - 1722: The Lady Henrietta Churchill
- 1689 - 1698: The Lady Henrietta Godolphin
- 1706 - 1712: The Right Honorable The Viscountess Rialton
- 1712 - 1733: The Right Honorable The Countess of Godolphin
- 1704 - 1733: Her Highness Princess of the Holy Roman Empire
- 1705 - 1733: Her Serene Highness Princess Henrietta of Mindelheim
- 1722 - 1733: Her Grace The Duchess of Marlborough
Her Imperial titles of Princess of the Holy Roman Empire did not pass to her children or to her heir, Charles Spencer (patrilineal ancestor of the current Dukes of Marlborough as well as mixed-line ancestor of the Earls Spencer, blood family of Diana, Princess of Wales) as the Empire operated Salic Law which prevented female succession.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- Sambrook, James (January 2008). "Godolphin, Henrietta, suo jure duchess of Marlborough (1681–1733)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/92329. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/92329. Retrieved 2009-06-28. subscription or UK public library membership required
| Peerage of England | ||
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| Preceded by John Churchill |
Duchess of Marlborough Suo jure 1722–1733 |
Succeeded by Charles Spencer |
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