The 12th Duke of Marlborough, Charles James Spencer-Churchill, has been formally ordered to appear before a magistrates' court in Oxford this Thursday. The summons relates to three separate allegations of intentional strangulation, which Thames Valley Police state occurred between November 2022 and May 2024.
Details of the Charges and Court Appearance
The 70-year-old aristocrat, previously known as Jamie Blandford, was arrested on the 13th of May last year. He now faces three counts of non-fatal intentional strangulation. All the alleged offences are said to have been committed in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and involve the same individual.
Spencer-Churchill's court date at Oxford Magistrates' Court marks the next step in the legal process following his arrest nearly a year ago. The charges are serious and relate to a specific pattern of alleged conduct over an 18-month period.
Aristocratic Lineage and Personal History
The Duke is a prominent figure within one of Britain's most historic aristocratic families. He is a distant relative of both the wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, through the Spencer line. Inheriting the dukedom in 2014 after his father's death, he is the 12th Duke of Marlborough.
His ancestral home is the world-renowned Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. However, the Duke does not own or manage the palace. Control was legally secured by his late father in 1994, and it is now operated by the independent Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.
The Foundation has issued a statement acknowledging the legal proceedings but emphasising its separation from the Duke's personal life. "The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke’s personal conduct and private life," a spokesperson said.
Context and Recent History
The Duke has been publicly known to have struggled with drug addiction in the past. His life has often intersected with public and royal events despite his private challenges. Notably, Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined him for the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston Churchill at Blenheim in 2015.
More recently, King Charles hosted a reception for European leaders at the palace in July 2024. The estate was also the scene of a notorious 2019 heist, where a solid gold toilet valued at £4.75 million was stolen.
Representatives for the Duke of Marlborough have been approached for comment regarding the upcoming court case. The proceedings will determine the next course of action for the allegations made against him.
