Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough
Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, better known as Henrietta Churchill, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (* July 19, 1681, † October 24, 1733 ) was a British aristocrat. She was the daughter and heiress of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough.
Family
Henrietta Godolphin was born as Henrietta Churchill, eldest daughter of John Churchill and Sarah Churchill. After the ennoblement of her father Earl of Marlborough in 1689 she led the honorific Lady Churchill.
1698 she married Francis Godolphin and thus became Lady Henrietta Godolphin. Since 1706 it bore the courtesy title of Viscountess Rialton when her father was raised as the Earl of Godolphin in the higher nobility. 1712 they finally became the Countess Godolphin, when her husband succeeded his father as Earl.
After her father's death in 1722 she inherited his rank and title as Duchess of Marlborough. Reason for the fact that the title of exception could be transferred to a daughter who was a special parliamentary law on a special entitlement of the Dukedom. 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.
In addition to her marriage Godolphin maintained a love affair with the playwright William Congreve, who is believed today that he was the biological father of her youngest daughter. From her marriage to Godolphin (nominal) five children:
- William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford (1700-1731), ∞ Maria Catherina de Jong
- Lord Henry Godolphin (about * 1700)
- Lady Margaret Godolphin (about * 1703)
- Lady Henrietta Godolphin († 1776), Thomas Pelham- Holles ∞, 1st Duke of Newcastle -upon- Tyne
- Lady Mary Godolphin (about 1716-1764 ), ∞ Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke of Leeds
The Duchess, who died at the age of 52 years, is buried in Westminster Palace. Your rank and title as Duke of Marlborough went to her nephew, Charles Spencer, 5th Earl of Sunderland on because their sons had died before her.