Duke of Marlborough charged with intentional strangulation

The Duke of Marlborough has been charged with intentional strangulation.

The 70-year-old is accused of attacking the same person in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, three times over an 18-month period.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, formerly known as Jamie Blandford, is a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales.

He is due to appear before Oxford magistrates on Thursday.

The attacks are alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and May 2024, Thames Valley Police said.

Mr Spencer-Churchill was arrested on 13 May 2024.

The twice-married aristocrat inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

He is a first cousin, three times removed, of Sir Winston Churchill and a distant relative of the late Princess Diana through the Spencer family.

His ancestral family home is Blenheim Palace in Woodstock – Sir Winston’s birthplace – which is owned and managed by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

In a statement, the group said: “The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke’s personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings.

“The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees.”

The King hosted a reception at Blenheim Palace for European leaders in July 2024, and the Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined Mr Spencer-Churchill for the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston in the palace grounds in 2015.

The duke’s representatives have been approached for comment.

Additional reporting from the Press Association.