John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
| His Grace The Duke of Marlborough |
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 The Duke of Marlborough in 1987 |
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| Born | 13 April 1926 |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Mary Hornby Athina Livanos Countess Rosita Douglas Lily Sahni |
| Issue | John Spencer-Churchill Jamie Spencer-Churchill Henrietta Spencer-Churchill Richard Spencer-Churchill Edward Spencer-Churchill Alexandra Spencer-Churchill |
| Parents | John Spencer-Churchill Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan |
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; and of the Vanderbilt family through his paternal grandmother, Consuelo Vanderbilt.
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.
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[edit] 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:
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- John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (1952–1955)
- Charles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (born 1955)
- The Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (born 1958)
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 on 15 May 2008.[1] They have three children:
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- 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[2] Mrs Lily Mahtani née Sahni (born ca. 1957 Iran), former wife of Ratan Mahtani, a wealthy Indian expatriate businessman, by whom she had three children.[3]
[edit] Titles and honours
[edit] Titles
- Earl of Sunderland (1926–1934)
- Marquess of Blandford (1934–1972)
- His Grace The Duke of Marlborough (1972–)
[edit] Honours
[edit] References
- ^ Daily Mail, 15 May 2008 - It's a Sunny day to get divorced
- ^ Richard Kay. "A Sunny day to get married" Daily Mail, 4 December 2008.
- ^ Elizabeth Sanderson "How a Persian beauty reunited the grumpy Duke with black sheep son he disinherited" Daily Mail 17 August 2008. According to this article, the former Lily Sahni is the Persian-born daughter of an Indian businessman associated with the Hinduja family. She married 1987 Ratan Mahtani, a Nigeria-based Indian industrialist, and divorced him more than ten years ago, after having three children with him. Until her relationship with Marlborough, she was best known for her lawsuit against Sarah, Duchess of York for repayment of a loan made in 1994. According to other reports in the Daily Mail, the new Duchess brought about a reconciliation between her future husband and his eldest son Jamie Blandford, who attended his father's fourth wedding ceremony. More details at the 11th Duke and his marriages
[edit] External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
- Duke of Marlborough at the Internet Movie Database
- 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 Blandford, his second wife Edla, and his elder son George.
- James Reginato. "Magnificent Obsession" Vanity Fair June 2011
[edit] Ancestry
| Ancestors of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough |
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| Peerage of England | ||
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| Preceded by John Spencer-Churchill |
Duke of Marlborough 1972–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by His Grace The Duke of Devonshire |
His Grace The Duke of Marlborough United Kingdom Order of Precedence Gentlemen |
Succeeded by His Grace The Duke of Rutland |
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