Albertha Frances Anne Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, VA (29 July 1847 – 7 January 1932) was an English

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...

Early life

She was born the sixth daughter and tenth child of

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn, (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and The Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a British Conservative statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of I ...

, and

Lady Louisa Russell Louisa Jane Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, VA (née Lady Louisa Jane Russell; 8 July 1812 – 31 March 1905) was a member of the British aristocracy. She was the half-sister of Prime Minister John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. Biography She was t ...

. As a young woman, aged 18, Lady Albertha Hamilton was one of eight train bearers at the wedding of The Princess Helena and

Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (Frederick Christian Charles Augustus; 22 January 1831 – 28 October 1917) was a minor Danish-born German prince who became a member of the British royal family through his marriage to Princess Helena ...

on 5 July 1866 at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

, Windsor, Berkshire, England.

Marriage and issue

On 8 November 1869, Albertha married

George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (born 28 July 1992), styled as Earl of Sunderland until 2014, is a British aristocrat and polo player. He is a model and brand ambassador for La Martina, an Argentinean polo clot ...

, eldest son of

John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough (2 June 18224 July 1883), styled Earl of Sunderland from 1822 to 1840 and Marquess of Blandford from 1840 to 1857, was a British Conservative cabinet minister, politician, peer, and noblem ...

. This was in defiance of the wishes of George's dominating mother,

Frances Anne Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough Frances Anne Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, VA (15 April 1822 – 16 April 1899) was an English noblewoman, the wife of British peer and statesman John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. One of her sons, Lord Randolph Churc ...

, who disliked Albertha and described her as "stupid, pious and dull". The wedding was held at

Westminster Palace The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

. They had four children: * Lady Frances Louisa Spencer-Churchill (15 September 1870 – 13 November 1954), married 6 June 1893 Sir Robert Gresley, 11th Baronet, by whom she had issue. * Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (13 November 1871 – 30 June 1934). *Lady Lillian Maud Spencer-Churchill (9 July 1873 – 4 January 1951), married 6 October 1898 Colonel

Cecil Grenfell Colonel Cecil Alfred Grenfell (13 February 1864 – 11 August 1924), was a British soldier and Liberal Party politician who was MP for Bodmin between the two general elections of 1910. Background Grenfell was the son of Pascoe du Pré Grenfell, ...

, she had no issue. * Lady Norah Beatrice Henriette Spencer-Churchill (1 September 1875 – 28 April 1946), married 1 December 1920

Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt, ICS, FRGS (25 June 1874 – 11 June 1963) was a British diplomat and writer. Biography He began his career as an English member of the Indian Civil Service. His duty in India began in 1896, and he started as an ass ...

, she had no issue. On 20 November 1883, shortly after Blandford inherited the dukedom following the death of his father, the couple were divorced. Afterwards, though still entitled to be addressed as ''Albertha, Duchess of Marlborough'', she preferred to use the title she had used throughout most of the couple's married life and was known as ''Albertha, Marchioness of Blandford''.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlborough, Albertha Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of 1847 births 1932 deaths Daughters of British dukes Albertha Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough English duchesses by marriage Ladies of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert