Duke of Marlborough (pronounced ) is a title in the

Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in th ...

. It was created by Queen Anne in 1702 for John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough (1650–1722), the noted military leader. In historical texts, unqualified use of the title typically refers to the 1st Duke. The name of the dukedom refers to Marlborough in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. The earldom of Marlborough was held by the family of Ley from its creation 1626 until its extinction with the death of the 4th earl in 1679. The title was recreated 10 years later for John Churchill (in 1689).

History of the dukedom

Churchill had been made ''Lord Churchill of Eyemouth'' (1682) in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Unio ...

, and ''Baron Churchill'' of

Sandridge Sandridge is a village and civil parish between St Albans and Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire, England. History The original name was "Saundruage" meaning a place of sandy soil serviced by bond tenants. The earliest recorded mention of Sandri ...

(1685) and ''Earl of Marlborough'' (1689) in the

. Shortly after her accession to the throne in 1702, Queen Anne made Churchill the first ''Duke of Marlborough'' and granted him the subsidiary title ''Marquess of Blandford''. In 1678, Churchill married Sarah Jennings (1660–1744), a courtier and influential favourite of the queen. They had seven children, of whom four daughters married into some of the most important families in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...

; one daughter and one son died in infancy. He was pre-deceased by his son, John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, in 1703; so, to prevent the extinction of the titles, a special

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...

was passed. When the 1st Duke of Marlborough died in 1722 his title as ''Lord Churchill of Eyemouth'' in the

became extinct and the Marlborough titles passed, according to the Act, to his eldest daughter Henrietta (1681–1733), the 2nd Duchess of Marlborough. She was married to the 2nd Earl of Godolphin and had a son who predeceased her. When Henrietta died in 1733, the Marlborough titles passed to her nephew Charles Spencer (1706–1758), the third son of her late sister Anne (1683–1716), who had married the 3rd Earl of Sunderland in 1699. After his older brother's death in 1729, Charles Spencer had already inherited the

Spencer family The Spencer family is an aristocratic family in the United Kingdom. From the 16th century, its members have held numerous titles including the dukedom of Marlborough, the earldoms of Sunderland and Spencer, and the Churchill barony. Two prom ...

estates and the titles of ''

Earl of Sunderland Earl of Sunderland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1627 in favour of Emanuel Scrope, 11th Baron Scrope of Bolton. The earldom became extinct on his death in 1630 while the barony becam ...

'' (1643) and ''Baron Spencer'' of Wormleighton (1603), all in the

. Upon his maternal aunt Henrietta's death in 1733, Charles Spencer succeeded to the Marlborough family estates and titles and became the 3rd Duke. When he died in 1758, his titles passed to his eldest son George (1739–1817), who was succeeded by his eldest son George, the 5th Duke (1766–1840). In 1815, Francis Spencer (the younger son of the 4th Duke) was created '' Baron Churchill'' in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In 1902, his grandson, the 3rd Baron Churchill, was created Viscount Churchill. In 1817, the 5th Duke obtained permission to assume and bear the

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

of Churchill in addition to his surname of Spencer, to perpetuate the name of his illustrious great-great-grandfather. At the same time he received Royal Licence to quarter the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of Churchill with his paternal arms of Spencer.Paul Courtenay, The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchil
The Armorial Bearings of Sir Winston Churchill
(accessed 20 July 2013). The modern Dukes thus originally bore the surname "Spencer": the

double-barrelled surname A double-barrelled name is a type of compound surname, typically featuring two words (occasionally more), often joined by a hyphen. Examples of some notable people with double-barrelled names include Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Sacha Baron Co ...

of "Spencer-Churchill" as used since 1817 remains in the family, although many members have preferred to style themselves simply as "Churchill". The 7th Duke was the paternal grandfather of the

British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

, born at

Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace (pronounced ) is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the only non- royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, ...

on 30 November 1874. The 11th Duke, John Spencer-Churchill died in 2014, having assumed the title in 1972. The 12th and present Duke is Charles James Spencer-Churchill.

Family seat

The family seat is

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...

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 ...

. After his leadership in the victory against the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

in the

Battle of Blenheim The Battle of Blenheim (german: Zweite Schlacht bei Höchstädt, link=no; french: Bataille de Höchstädt, link=no; nl, Slag bij Blenheim, link=no) fought on , was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The overwhelming Allied ...

on 13 August 1704, the 1st Duke was honoured by Queen Anne granting him the royal manor of

, and building him a house at her expense to be called Blenheim. Construction started in 1705 and the house was completed in 1722, the year of the 1st Duke's death. Blenheim Palace has since remained in the Churchill and Spencer-Churchill family. With the exception of the 10th Duke and his first wife, the Dukes and Duchesses of Marlborough are buried in Blenheim Palace's chapel. Most other members of the Spencer-Churchill family are interred in St. Martin's parish churchyard at Bladon, a short distance from the palace.

Succession to the title

The dukedom can theoretically pass through a female line. However, unlike the remainder to heirs general found in most other peerages that allow

male-preference primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

, the grant does not allow for

abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. ...

and follows a more restrictive

Semi-Salic The Salic law ( or ; la, Lex salica), also called the was the ancient Frankish civil law code compiled around AD 500 by the first Frankish King, Clovis. The written text is in Latin and contains some of the earliest known instances of Old D ...

formula designed to keep succession wherever possible in the male line. The succession is as follows: Succession to the title under the first and second contingencies has lapsed; holders of the title from the 3rd Duke trace their status from the third contingency. It is now very unlikely that the dukedom will be passed to a woman or through a woman, since all the male-line descendants of the 1st Duke's second daughter Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland—including the lines of the Viscounts Churchill and Barons Churchill of Wychwood and of the Earl Spencer and of the entire Spencer-Churchill and Spencer family—would have to become extinct. If that were to happen, the Churchill titles would pass to the

Earl of Jersey Earl of the Island of Jersey, usually shortened to Earl of Jersey, is a title in the Peerage of England held by a branch of the Villiers family, which since 1819 has been the Child-Villiers family. History It was created in 1697 for the sta ...

(and merge with the earldom as long as it is extant), the heir-male of the 1st Duke's granddaughter Anne Villiers (born Egerton), Countess of Jersey, daughter of Elizabeth Egerton, Duchess of Bridgewater, the third daughter of the first Duke. The next heir would be the Duke of Buccleuch, the heir-male of the 1st Duke's great-granddaughter Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Buccleuch, the daughter of Mary Montagu, Duchess of Montagu (1766 creation), the daughter of the 1st Duke's youngest daughter Mary, Duchess of Montagu (1705 creation). The fourth surviving line is represented by the

Earl of Chichester Earl of Chichester is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The current title was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1801 for Thomas Pelham, 2nd ...

and his family, the heir-male of the 1st Duke's most senior great-great-granddaughter Mary Henrietta Osborne, Countess of Chichester, daughter of Francis Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds, only child of Mary Godolphin, Duchess of Leeds, daughter of the 1st Duke's eldest daughter

Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (19 July 1681 – 24 October 1733) was the daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, general of the army, and Sarah Jennings, Duchess of Marlborough, close friend and business manager o ...

, by her husband

Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, (3 September 1678 – 17 January 1766), styled Viscount Rialton from 1706 to 1712, was an English courtier and politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1712, whe ...

Line of succession

* ''

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 1st Prince of Mindelheim, 1st Count of Nellenburg, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, (26 May 1650 – 16 June 1722 O.S.) was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reign ...

(1650–1722)'' ** ''

(1681–1733)'' **'' Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland (1683–1716)'' *** '' Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1706–1758)'' **** ''

George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, (26 January 1739 – 29 January 1817), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier, nobleman, and politician from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Chamberlain between 1762 a ...

(1739–1817)'' ***** '' George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough (1766–1840)'' ****** '' George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough (1793–1857)'' ******* '' John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough (1822–1883)'' ******** '' George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough (1844–1892)'' ********* '' Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871–1934)'' ********** '' John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough (1897–1972)'' *********** ''

John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough 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 ...

(1926–2014)'' ************

James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (born 24 November 1955), styled Earl of Sunderland until March 1972 and Marquess of Blandford until October 2014, and often known as Jamie Blandford or Jamie Marlborough, is an English ...

(born 1955) ************* (1)

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 clothin ...

(b. 1992) ************* (2) Lord Caspar Spencer-Churchill (b. 2008) ************ (3) Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill (b. 1974) *********** ''Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill (1940–2016)'' ************ (4) Rupert Spencer-Churchill (b. 1971) ************ (5) Dominic Spencer-Churchill (b. 1979) ************* (6) Ivor Spencer-Churchill (b. 2014) ************ (7) Alexander Spencer-Churchill (b. 1983) **********''

Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill (14 October 1898 – 17 September 1956) was the younger son of the 9th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife, the former Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American railroad heiress. His elder brother, John, was the ...

(1898–1956)'' *********** (8) Robert Spencer-Churchill (b. 1954) ************ (9) John Spencer-Churchill (b. 1984) ************ (10) Ivor Spencer-Churchill (b. 1986) ********'' Lord Randolph Spencer-Churchill (1849–1895) *********''

(1874–1965)'' **********'' Randolph Spencer-Churchill (1911–1968)'' ***********'' Winston Spencer-Churchill (1940–2010)'' ************ (11) Randolph Spencer-Churchill (b. 1965) ************* (12) John Spencer-Churchill (b. 2007) ************ (13) John Spencer-Churchill (b. 1975) ************* (14) Edward Spencer-Churchill (b. 2008) ************* (15) Alexander Spencer-Churchill (b. 2014) ***** '' Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill (1779–1845)'' ******''

Augustus Spencer General The Hon. Sir Augustus Almeric Spencer (25 March 1807 – 28 August 1893) was a British Army officer and a member of the Spencer family. Military career Born the third son of Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill, Spencer was commissioned ...

(1807–1893)'' *******''Augustus Spencer (1851–1912)'' ********''Richard Spencer (1888–1956)'' *********'' Richard Spencer, 6th Baron Churchill (1926–2020)'' **********(16) Michael Spencer, 7th Baron Churchill (b. 1960) **********(17) David Spencer (b. 1970) ******''William Spencer (1810–1900)'' *******''William Spencer (1838–1923)'' ********''John Spencer (1881–1952)'' *********''John Spencer (1917–1967)'' **********(18) John Spencer (b. 1957) ***********(19) Charles Spencer (b. 1990) ******''Charles Spencer (1824–1895)'' *******''Charles Spencer (1848–1922) ********''Francis Spencer (1881–1972)'' *********''Francis Spencer (1917–1989)'' **********(20) Philip Spencer (b. 1966) ****''

Lord Charles Spencer Lord Charles Spencer PC (31 March 1740 – 16 June 1820) was a British courtier and politician from the Spencer family who sat in the House of Commons between 1761 and 1801. Background Spencer was the second son of Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke o ...

(1740–1820)'' *****''John Spencer (1767–1831)'' ******''Frederick Spencer (1796–1831)'' *******''Charles Spencer (1827–1898)'' ********''Sir Charles Spencer (1869–1934)'' *********''John Spencer (1907–1977)'' **********(21) Robert Spencer (b. 1944)'' ***********(22) Edmund Spencer (b. 1991)'' *********''Charles Spencer (1909–1963)'' **********(23) Piers Spencer (b. 1963)'' ***'' John Spencer (1708–1746)'' **** '' John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer (1734–1783)'' ***** ''

George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer, (1 September 1758 – 10 November 1834), styled Viscount Althorp from 1765 to 1783, was a British Whig politician. He served as Home Secretary from 1806 to 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents. He was ...

(1758–1834)'' ****** ''

Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer, KG, CB, PC (14 April 1798 – 27 December 1857), styled The Honourable Frederick Spencer until 1845, was a British naval commander, courtier, and Whig politician. He initially served in the Royal Navy and ...

(1798–1857)'' ******* ''

Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer, (30 October 1857 – 26 September 1922), styled The Honourable Charles Spencer until 1905 and known as Viscount Althorp between 1905 and 1910, was a British courtier and Liberal politician from the Spen ...

(1857–1922)'' ******** ''

Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, (23 May 1892 – 9 June 1975), styled The Honourable Albert Spencer until 1910 and Viscount Althorp from 1910 to 1922, and known less formally as Jack Spencer, was a British peer. He was the pate ...

(1892–1975)'' ********* ''

John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, (24 January 192429 March 1992), styled Viscount Althorp until June 1975, was a British nobleman, military officer, and courtier. He was the father of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the maternal grandfather ...

(1924–1992)'' **********(24)

Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, (born 20 May 1964), styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer, author, journalist, and broadcaster. He is the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, and is the mate ...

(b. 1964) ***********(25)

Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp Louis Frederick John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (born 14 March 1994), is a British aristocrat and eldest son and heir of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. He is the nephew of Diana, Princess of Wales, the first wife of King Charles III. Early ...

(b. 1994) ***********(26) Edmund Spencer (b. 2003) ********''George Spencer (1903–1982)'' *********(27) George Spencer (b. 1932) **''Lady Elizabeth Churchill (1687–1714)'' ***'' Lady Anne Egerton (1705–1762)'' **** ''

George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey George Bussy Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, PC (9 June 173522 August 1805, Tunbridge Wells) was an English nobleman, peer, politician and courtier at the court of George III. He was the oldest surviving son of William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Je ...

(1735–1805)'' ***** '' George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey (1773–1859)'' ****** ''

George Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey George Augustus Frederick Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey (4 April 1808 – 24 October 1859), styled Viscount Villiers until 1859, was an English peer and politician from the Villiers family. Life Villiers was born on 4 April 1808 in London, t ...

(1808–1859)'' ******* ''

Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, (20 March 1845 – 31 May 1915) was a British banker, Conservative politician and colonial administrator from the Villiers family. He served as Governor of New South Wales between 1891 and ...

(1845–1915)'' ******** ''

George Child Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey George Henry Robert Child Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey DL (2 June 1873 – 31 December 1923), was a British peer and Conservative politician from the Villiers family. Villiers was the son of Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, and the Ho ...

(1873–1923)'' ********* ''

George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey George Francis Child-Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (15 February 1910 – 9 August 1998), was an English peer and banker from the Villiers family. Lord Jersey gave one of the family seats, Osterley Park, to the British nation in the late 1940s ...

(1910–1998)'' **********'' George Child-Villiers, Viscount Villiers (1948–1998)'' *********** (28) William Child-Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey (b. 1976) ************ (29) George Child-Villiers, Viscount Villiers (b. 2015) *********** (30) Jamie Child-Villiers (b. 1994) *********''Edward Child-Villiers (1913–1980)'' ********** (31) Edward Child-Villiers (b. 1935) *********** (32) Alexander Child-Villiers (b. 1961) ************ (33) Frederick Child-Villiers (b. 1990) ************ (34) William Child-Villiers (b. 2003) ********** (35) George Child-Villiers (b. 1947)

Other titles of the Dukes

Subsidiary titles

The Duke holds subsidiary titles: ''Marquess of Blandford'' (created in 1702 for John Churchill), ''

'' (created in 1643 for the

), ''Earl of Marlborough'' (created in 1689 for John Churchill), ''Baron Spencer'' of Wormleighton (created in 1603 for the Spencer family), and ''Baron Churchill'' of

(created in 1685 for John Churchill), all in the Peerage of England. The title ''Marquess of Blandford'' is used as the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some con ...

for the Duke's eldest son and heir. The Duke's eldest son's eldest son can use the courtesy title ''Earl of Sunderland'', and the duke's eldest son's eldest son's eldest son (not necessarily the eldest great-grandson) the title ''Lord Spencer of Wormleighton'' (not to be confused with Earl Spencer). The title of ''Earl of Marlborough'', created for John Churchill in 1689, had previously been created for James Ley, in 1626, becoming extinct in 1679.

Foreign titles

The 1st Duke was honoured with land and titles in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

Emperor Leopold I Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; hu, I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria An ...

created him a

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

in 1704, and in 1705, his successor

Emperor Joseph I , father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg , birth_date = , birth_place = Vienna, Austria , death_date = , death_place = Vienna, Austria , burial_place = Imperial Crypt, Vienna , ...

gave him the

principality of Mindelheim Mindelheim () was a minor state of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. It was part of the territory of Rechberg until 1467 when it was made a Lordship for the House of Frundsberg. It was raised to a Barony in 1569, was annexed by Maxelrain in 15 ...

(once the lordship of the noted soldier

Georg von Frundsberg Georg von Frundsberg (24 September 1473 – 20 August 1528) was a German military and Landsknecht leader in the service of the Holy Roman Empire and Imperial House of Habsburg. An early modern proponent of infantry tactics, he established ...

). He was obliged to surrender Mindelheim in 1714 by the

Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne ...

, which returned it to

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

. He tried to obtain Nellenburg in Austria in exchange, which at that time was only a county ('Landgrafschaft'), but this failed, partially because Austrian law did not allow for Nellenburg to be converted into a sovereign principality. The 1st Duke's princely title of Mindelheim became extinct either on the return of the land to Bavaria or on his death, as the Empire operated Salic Law, which prevented female succession.

Coats of arms

Original arms of the Churchill family

The original arms of Sir

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

(1620–1688), father of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, were simple and in use by his own father in 1619. The shield was Sable a lion rampant Argent, debruised by a bendlet Gules. The addition of a canton of Saint George (see below) rendered the distinguishing mark of the bendlet unnecessary. The Churchill crest is blazoned as a lion couchant guardant Argent, supporting with its dexter forepaw a banner Gules, charged with a dexter hand appaumée of the first, staff Or. In recognition of Sir Winston's services to King Charles I as Captain of the Horse, and his loyalty to King Charles II as a Member of Parliament, he was awarded an augmentation of honour to his arms around 1662. This rare mark of royal favour took the form of a canton of Saint George. At the same time, he was authorised to omit the bendlet, which had served the purpose of distinguishing this branch of the Churchill family from others which bore an undifferenced lion.

Arms of the 1st Duke of Marlborough

Sir Winston's shield and crest were inherited by his son

. Minor modifications reflected the bearer's social rise: the helm was now shown in profile and had a closed grille to signify the bearer's rank as a peer, and there were now supporters placed on either side of the shield. They were the mythical

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon ( Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and ...

(part lion, part eagle) and

Wyvern A wyvern ( , sometimes spelled wivern) is a legendary winged dragon that has two legs. The wyvern in its various forms is important in heraldry, frequently appearing as a mascot of schools and athletic teams (chiefly in the United States, U ...

(a dragon without hind legs). The supporters were derived from the arms of the family of the 1st Duke's mother, Drake of

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

(Argent, a wyvern gules; these arms can be seen on the monument in Musbury Church to Sir Bernard Drake, d.1586). The motto was ''Fiel pero desdichado'' (Spanish for "Faithful but unfortunate").Robson, Thomas, ''The British Herald, or Cabinet of Armorial Bearings of the Nobility & Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland'', Volume I, Turner & Marwood, Sunderland, 1830, p. 401 (CHU-CLA). The 1st Duke was also entitled to a

coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. A coronet differs from other kinds of crowns in that a coronet never has arches, and from a tiara in that a coronet completely encircles the head, while a tiara doe ...

indicating his rank. When the 1st Duke was made a

Prince of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...

in 1705, two unusual features were added: the Imperial Eagle and a Princely Coronet. His estates in Germany, such as

Mindelheim Mindelheim (; Swabian: ''Mindelhoi'') is a town in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. The town is the capital of the Unterallgäu district. At various points in history it was the chief settlement of an eponymous state. Geography Mindelheim is locate ...

, were represented in his arms by additional quarterings.

Arms of the Spencer-Churchill family

In 1817, the 5th Duke received Royal Licence to place the quarter of Churchill ahead of his paternal arms of Spencer. The shield of the

arms is: quarterly Argent and Gules, in the second and third quarters a fret Or, over all on a bend Sable three escallops of the first. The Spencer crest is: out of a ducal coronet Or, a griffin's head between two wings expanded Argent, gorged with a collar gemel and armed Gules. Paul Courtenay observes that "It would be normal in these circumstances for the paternal arms (Spencer) to take precedence over the maternal (Churchill), but because the Marlborough dukedom was senior to the Sunderland earldom, the procedure was reversed in this case." Also in 1817, a further augmentation of honour was added to his armorial achievement. This incorporated the bearings from the standard of the Manor of Woodstock and was borne on an escutcheon, displayed over all in the centre chief point, as follows: Argent a cross of

Saint George Saint George ( Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldie ...

surmounted by an inescutcheon Azure, charged with three

fleurs-de-lys The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

Or, two over one. This inescutcheon represents the royal arms of France. These quartered arms, incorporating the two augmentations of honour, have been the arms of all subsequent Dukes of Marlborough.

Motto

The

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

''Fiel pero desdichado'' is

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

for "Faithful though Joyless". "Desdichado" means without happiness or without joy, alluding to the first Duke's father, Winston, who was a royalist and faithful supporter of the king during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

but was not compensated for his losses after the restoration. Charles II

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

ed Winston Churchill and other Civil War royalists but did not compensate them for their wartime losses, thereby inducing Winston to adopt the motto. It is unusual for the motto of an Englishman of the era to be in Spanish rather than

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

, and it is not known why this is the case.

Gallery of coats of arms of the Churchills

File:Churchill Original.svg, Original Churchill Coat of Arms File:Coat of arms of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough.svg, Arms of

, father of the 1st Duke File:1st Duke of Marlborough arms.png, Arms of

, with quarterings representing his estates in Germany MarlboroughCoatOfArms.jpg, Simple arms of the Spencer Dukes of Marlborough before they changed their name to "Spencer-Churchill" and took the modern arms George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough Color.jpg, Arms of George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough Arms of Spencer-Churchill, Duke of Marlborough.svg, Shield of the Spencer-Churchill Dukes of Marlborough since 1817 File:Coat of Arms of Winston Churchill as a Gentleman.svg, Arms of

(or any Spencer-Churchill) as a

gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the r ...

Coat of Arms of Winston Churchill.svg, Arms of Sir Winston Churchill, grandson of the 7th Duke, as a Knight of the Garter showing the Spencer-Churchill arms and both crests

Achievement

List of title holders

Earls of Marlborough, first creation (1626–1679)

The earldom of Marlborough was held by the family of Ley from 1626 to 1679. James Ley, the 1st Earl (c. 1550 – 1629), was lord chief justice of the King’s Bench in Ireland and then in England; he was an English member of parliament and was lord high treasurer from 1624 to 1628. In 1624 he was created Baron Ley and in 1626 Earl of Marlborough. The 3rd earl was his grandson James (1618–1665), a naval officer who was killed in action with the Dutch. James was succeeded by his uncle William, a younger son of the 1st earl, on whose death in 1679 the earldom became extinct.

Earls of Marlborough, second creation (1689)

:''Other titles: Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, in the county of Berwick (Scotland 1682) and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, in the county of Hertford (England 1685)'' * John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough (1650–1722), became Duke of Marlborough in 1702

Dukes of Marlborough (1702)

John Churchill, Marquis of Blandford (1686-1703), studio of Godfrey Kneller

:''Other titles: Marquess of Blandford (England 1702), Earl of Marlborough, in the county of Wiltshire (En 1689) and Baron Churchill of Sandridge, in the county of Hertford (England 1685)'' :''Other titles (1st Duke): Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, in the county of Berwick (Scotland 1682)'' *

(1650–1722), soldier and statesman ** John Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (1686–1703), elder son of the 1st Duke, died unmarried *

(1681–1733), eldest daughter of the 1st Duke, succeeded her father by

(1706) **

William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford William Godolphin, Marquess of Blandford ( 1699 – 24 August 1731) was an English nobleman and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1720 and 1731 . Godolphin was the eldest son of Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin and his ...

(1700–1731), elder son of the 2nd Duchess, predeceased his mother without issue *

Anne Spencer Anne Bethel Spencer (born Bannister; February 6, 1882 – July 27, 1975) was an American poet, teacher, civil rights activist, librarian, and gardener. Though she lived outside New York City, the recognized center of the Harlem Renaissance, also ...

, Countess of Sunderland (''née'' Lady Anne Churchill; 1683–1716), second daughter of the 1st Duke, married

Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland, KG, PC (23 April 167519 April 1722), known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman and nobleman from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1714–1717), Lord P ...

, predeceased her elder sister, leaving male issue :''Other titles (3rd Duke onwards): Earl of Sunderland (England 1643) and Baron Spencer of Wormleighton (England 1729)'' * Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1706–1758), 5th Earl of Sunderland, second son of Anne Spencer, Countess of Sunderland *

(1739–1817), elder son of the 3rd Duke * George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough (1766–1840), elder son of the 4th Duke * George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough (1793–1857), eldest son of the 5th Duke *

John Winston 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 ...

(1822–1883), eldest son of the 6th Duke and paternal grandfather of

George Charles Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough George Charles Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough, DL (13 May 1844 – 9 November 1892), styled Earl of Sunderland until 1857 and Marquess of Blandford between 1857 and 1883, was a British peer. Early life Marlborough was born in Engl ...

(1844–1892), eldest son of the 7th Duke * Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough (1871–1934), only son of the 8th Duke * John Albert William Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough (1897–1972), elder son of the 9th Duke * John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough (1926–2014), elder son of the 10th Duke * Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (b. 1955), eldest surviving son of the 11th Duke The

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the dukedom is George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (b. 1992), eldest son of the 12th Duke.

Family tree

References

External links

Blenheim Palace
- official website

European Heraldry website - Churchill

European Heraldry website - Spencer

European Heraldry website - Churchill and Spencer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marlborough Dukedoms in the Peerage of England

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

Peerages created with special remainders Noble titles created in 1702