Duke of Marlborough strangulation case in Oxford adjourned

Duke of Marlborough strangulation case in Oxford adjourned

The scheduled court appearance of the Duke of Marlborough, Charles James Spencer-Churchill, on charges related to intentional strangulation, has been postponed. The 70-year-old aristocrat, previously known as Jamie Blandford, was expected to attend Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning, facing three non-fatal strangulation charges. These allegations involve three separate incidents occurring over an 18-month span in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

The legal proceedings have now been deferred until a plea hearing set for 5 January at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court. According to police reports, the alleged attacks took place between November 2022 and May 2024. Spencer-Churchill was apprehended on 13 May 2024 in connection with these charges.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, who was once styled as the Marquess of Blandford, assumed the dukedom in 2014 after the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough. He holds a notable lineage as a first cousin, three times removed, to Sir Winston Churchill and is distantly related to the late Princess Diana through the Spencer family. His family seat, Blenheim Palace, located in Woodstock, is historically significant as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and is currently overseen by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

In response to the situation, the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation has refrained from commenting on the charges, emphasizing that these matters pertain to the duke’s private life and are subject to ongoing criminal proceedings. The foundation remains detached from the legal case while continuing to manage the hereditary estate

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