John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, (13 April 1926 – 16 October 2014) was a
British peer. He was the elder son of the
10th Duke of Marlborough and his wife, the Hon. Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan. He was known as "Sunny" after his courtesy title of
Earl of Sunderland.
His principal seat was
Blenheim Palace,
Woodstock, Oxfordshire. He was ranked 224th in the ''
Sunday Times Rich List
The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday new ...
'' 2004, with an estimated wealth of £185 million. His death was announced on 16 October 2014 by Blenheim Palace.
Life and work
He was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
and served seven years in the
Life Guards
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy transf ...
, in which he achieved the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. In 1972, on inheriting the Dukedom of Marlborough, he took over the management of Blenheim Palace and the Blenheim estate.
To fund the maintenance of the house, he opened it to visitors and as a film set, and established a number of businesses, including a garden furniture company and a water bottling plant.
He was also active in a range of organisations, including the Thames and Chilterns Tourist Board and
Oxford United Football Club. He served as vice-president of the
Witney
Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is west of Oxford. The place-name "Witney" is derived from the Old English for "Witta's island". The earliest known record of it is as ...
Conservative Association, the local party of
David Cameron.
Marriages and issue
Marlborough was married four times and had a total of six children, two of whom died in infancy.
Firstly, he married Susan Mary Hornby (1929–2005), daughter of
Michael Charles St John Hornby and Nicolette Joan Ward, on 19 October 1951. They divorced in 1961 after having three children:
* John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (17 November 1952 – 14 May 1955), a godson of
Princess Margaret
*
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (24 November 1955); married, firstly, Rebecca Few-Brown on 24 February 1990. They have one son,
George, and were divorced in 1998. In 2002, he married Edla Griffiths, with whom he has two children.
*
Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (7 October 1958); married German banker Nathan Gelber in 1980 and they were divorced in 1989. They have two sons.
Secondly, on 23 October 1961, he married
Athina Onassis
Athina Hélène Onassis ( el, Αθηνά Ωνάση; born Athina Hélène Roussel ( el, Αθηνά Ρουσσέλ), 29 January 1985) is a French-Greek heiress and equestrian, the only surviving descendant of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle O ...
(''née'' Livanos), former wife of
Aristotle Onassis
Aristotle Socrates Onassis (, ; el, Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης, Aristotélis Onásis, ; 20 January 1906 – 15 March 1975), was a Greek-Argentinian shipping magnate who amassed the world's largest privately-owned shipping fleet and wa ...
, and daughter of
Stavros Livanos Stavros George Livanos ( el, Σταύρος Λιβανός; 1891– May 28, 1963), was a Greek shipowner, native of Chios, and the founder of the Livanos shipping empire. He was also a rival as well as father-in-law to billionaire Greek shipping tyc ...
. They were divorced in March 1971 and had no children.
Thirdly, on 20 May 1972, he married
Countess Rosita Douglas-Stjernorp, daughter of ambassador Count Carl Douglas-Stjernorp and Ottora Haas-Heye. They had three children and were divorced in 2008.
* Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill (born and died 1973)
* Lord Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1974); married Kimberly Hammerstroem. They had a
civil ceremony A civil, or registrar, ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the United Kingdom, this person is typically called a registrar. In the United States, civil ceremonies may be performed ...
at Mayfair Library in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 4 July 2018, followed by a religious ceremony at
Blenheim Palace on 7 July. They have a child Phoenix Spencer-Churchill.
* Lady Alexandra Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill (born 1977)
Finally, at the age of 82, Marlborough married Lily Mahtani (''née'' Sahni; born c. 1954–57 in Iran) 3 December 2008 in the Private Chapel at Blenheim.
There were no children from this marriage.
Titles and appointments
Titles
*
Earl of Sunderland (1926–1934)
* Marquess of Blandford (1934–1972)
* ''
His Grace''
The Duke of Marlborough (1972–2014)
Appointments
*
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...
*
Deputy Lieutenant of
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...
Arms
References
External links
*
*
Cast of Branagh's ''Hamlet''*James Reginato
"Magnificent Obsession"''Vanity Fair'' June 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke Of
1926 births
2014 deaths
Cadogan family
Deputy Lieutenants of Oxfordshire
111
English justices of the peace
English people of American descent
English people of Dutch descent
Hornby family
People educated at Eton College
John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of
British Life Guards officers