The Duke of Marlborough, known as Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, is accused of three crimes that allegedly occurred between November 2022 and May 2024, according to Thames Valley Police. Sky News reports this, writes UNN.
Details
The 70-year-old Duke of Marlborough was summoned to Oxford Magistrates' Court on Thursday after his arrest last May. The three charges of attempted intentional strangulation, according to the investigation, relate to incidents allegedly taking place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and involve the same person.
Spencer-Churchill, known in the family as Jamie, is the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a representative of one of the most aristocratic families in Great Britain. He is known to have struggled with drug addiction in the past.
Spencer-Churchill inherited the Dukedom of Marlborough in 2014 after the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough. Before that, the twice-married Spencer-Churchill held the title of Marquess of Blandford and was also known as Jamie Blandford.
The family residence is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock – a 300-year-old estate where Sir Winston Churchill was born. At the same time, the Duke does not own this 18th-century Baroque palace and does not participate in the management of the residence or the adjacent estate.
Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist attraction. The parks around it were designed by the famous landscape architect Lancelot "Capability" Brown.
In 1994, the late Duke initiated a lawsuit to ensure that his son and heir could not gain control of the family residence. Currently, Blenheim Palace is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.
The Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware of the criminal proceedings against the Duke of Marlborough. The Foundation cannot comment on the charges, which relate to the Duke's personal conduct and private life and are currently undergoing legal proceedings. The Foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but operates independently under the guidance of boards of trustees
Last July, the King hosted a reception for European leaders at Blenheim Palace. In 2015, the then Duchess of Cornwall, along with Spencer-Churchill, participated in the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston Churchill on the palace grounds.
The palace also became the scene of a high-profile crime in 2019, when intruders stole a gold toilet worth £4.75 million during a daring robbery.