The Marquess of Blandford, heir to Blenheim Palace, has reconciled with his father the Duke of Marlborough after years of acrimony, a television documentary will reveal next week. Jamie Blandford, 56, was once disinherited by his father due to a history of drug addiction and criminal offences, but is now clean and living back on the estate.
The father-son feud, dubbed 'the new Battle of Blenheim', saw the Duke take legal steps to disinherit his wayward son. Jamie's past includes assaulting a police officer, forging a prescription, and numerous motoring offences, along with a failed marriage. However, a compromise was reached, and the documentary shows their remarkable reconciliation.
Jamie admits feeling daunted by the responsibility of running the 11,500-acre, £100 million estate, saying: 'I do feel confused about my destiny and I have always resented having my life mapped out for me.' The Duke, 86, has dedicated his life to safeguarding Blenheim, which costs a fortune to run and is open to the public for revenue.
The documentary follows the pair during peak tourist season and the completion of a £2 million new block at the palace, opened by Prime Minister David Cameron. Jamie's troubles began in childhood after his parents' divorce, leading to a poor record at Harrow and later drug use in New York. After returning to Britain in the mid-1980s, his criminal record grew, including a prison sentence for breaching probation and drug offences.
Jamie once spent £20,000 on cocaine in four months and attended a drug addiction clinic in 1994. Now, he hopes to prove his worth and eventually take over the reins at Blenheim, with his father's trust slowly being rebuilt.
