Duke of Marlborough (title)

Duke of Marlborough ( German: Duke of Marlborough ) [ ˌ dju ː ː kəvmɔ lbɹə ] is a hereditary British title of nobility of the family ( Spencer ) Churchill in the Peerage of England. The title derives from the name of the place Marlborough.

The family seat is Blenheim Palace at Woodstock in Oxfordshire.

Award

The title was awarded to the famous English / British general in the War of Spanish Succession John Churchill (1650-1722) in 1702. His wife Sarah was a close friend and influential adviser to Queen Anne. Two years later he defeated in the Second Battle of Blenheim (English: Battle of Blenheim ) together with Prinz Eugen, the Bavarian and French troops. If by the Duke of Marlborough is mentioned, as is almost always he meant.

As the only son of the first Duke 1703, that during his life, died, and he was one of the most influential people at court, in 1706 a Parliamentary Act on a special entitlement was adopted. This allows, in the absence of a male heir to the title with all the rights to the daughters of the first Dukes in order of their birth and their male heirs, and finally to let then pass through the female line. To his eldest daughter Henrietta was the second Duchess of Marlborough ( peeress in her own right). Third Duke then was the second son of the younger daughter from his marriage to Charles Spencer.

The later Dukes of Marlborough are all from this compound and therefore have the surname Spencer. George Spencer, 5th Duke of Marlborough, received the royal permission to use the name and emblem for his famous ancestor, the first Duke and changed his name to George Spencer-Churchill. This double name has survived to this day.

However, it is extremely unlikely that the title will again be inherited through the female line. After the family Spencer-Churchill, the Earl Spencer would be the Dukes of Bedford and the Earl of Jersey entitled to inherit before.

The title Earl of Marlborough had previously been awarded once, in 1626 James Ley. With the death of the fourth Earl in 1679 went out of the title because no male heirs were gone.

Subordinate title

Subordinate title of the Dukes of Marlborough Marquess of Blandford is ( created 1702), Earl of Sunderland ( created 1644), Earl of Marlborough ( created 1689), Baron Spencer ( created 1603) and Baron Churchill ( created 1685). All titles are also included in the Peerage of England.

The later first Duke had been made ​​in 1685 for Baron Churchill and four years later, when he was responsible for the almost bloodless Glorious Revolution to the Earl of Marlborough. The two title Earl of Sunderland and Baron Spencer inherited the third Duke of his father.

The eldest son and heir apparent of the respective Dukes leads the courtesy title Marquess of Blandford, whose eldest son of the Earl of Sunderland those.

More titles

The title of Lord Churchill was already for the first Duke in 1682 was created in the Peerage of Scotland. Because of this, however, the special law was not on the inheritance, the title became extinct with the death of the first Dukes.

The first Duke had been also awarded by Emperor Joseph I. the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Prince of Mindelheim. These extinguished with his death.

Other famous family members

The Churchill family except the Duke of Marlborough spawned a number of other famous people. Thus, the seventh Duke of Marlborough was the father of the famous politician Lord Randolph Churchill and the paternal grandfather of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, who, like his father, the hyphen in the family name usually was omitted.

List of Earls and Dukes of Marlborough

Earl of Marlborough, First Creation ( 1626 )

  • James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough ( 1552-1629 )
  • Henry Ley, 2nd Earl of Marlborough ( 1595-1638 )
  • James Ley, 3rd Earl of Marlborough ( 1618-1665 )
  • William Ley, 4th Earl of Marlborough ( 1612-1679 )

Earl of Marlborough, Second Creation (1689 )

  • John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough ( 1650-1722 ), was raised in 1702 to the Duke of Marlborough

Dukes of Marlborough ( 1702)

The heir apparent is the eldest son of the current Duke, Charles James Spencer - Churchill, Marquess of Blandford ( b. 1955 ). Its heir is his eldest son, George Spencer - Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (* 1992).

  • Dukedom
  • Duke of Marlborough
Godfrey Kneller Marlborough (Wiltshire) Woodstock (Oxfordshire) War of the Spanish Succession Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland Earl Spencer (peerage) Duke of Bedford Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough Jamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
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