The Duke of Marlborough has indicated not guilty pleas to three charges of strangling his estranged wife, Edla Marlborough. Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 70, appeared at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court on Monday, where he confirmed his name and date of birth.
The alleged offences took place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, over an 18-month period. In the first incident, on April 23 2023, Ms Marlborough is said to have run into a laundry room before the Duke allegedly grabbed her, struck her with a closed fist and strangled her. The final allegation claims that on January 29 2024, he pushed her onto a bed and assaulted her after placing his hands tightly around her neck.
The Duke, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, appeared in the dock wearing a navy suit, white shirt and blue tie. He was formerly known as the Marquess of Blandford before inheriting the dukedom in 2014. He married his second wife, a Welsh ceramicist, in 2002 after they had dated for seven years.
The couple are believed to have separated in 2024, and the Duke was arrested on May 13 2024. They have two children together. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring granted him conditional bail, and he is due to appear at Oxford Crown Court on February 5 to formally enter his pleas.
