UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Charles Spencer-Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, denied three charges of strangling his estranged wife and was granted conditional bail until February.
As reported by Dan Haygarth of The Independent, the Duke of Marlborough appeared in court and denied allegations that he strangled his estranged wife, entering not guilty pleas.
How did the Duke of Marlborough plead in court over strangulation claims?
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, faced court on Monday over three alleged intentional strangulation offences involving his estranged wife, Edla Marlborough, between November 2022 and May 2024.
According to court documents, the three alleged non-fatal strangulation incidents involving his estranged wife occurred in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
The defendant attended High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday to enter a plea.
In court, dressed in a dark suit and blue tie, Spencer-Churchill confirmed his name, date of birth, and Blenheim Palace address before pleading not guilty to all alleged charges.
The court was told that Spencer-Churchill reportedly attacked Ms Marlborough several times and strangled her on 13 November 2022 after an argument in their garden.
According to court files, Spencer-Churchill allegedly grabbed Ms Marlborough in a laundry room, struck her with a closed fist, and strangled her on 23 April 2023.
The final allegation claims that the Duke of Marlborough threw Ms Marlborough onto a bed and placed his hands around her neck on 29 January 2024.
Spencer-Churchill, also known as Jamie within his family, was granted conditional bail and will appear at Oxford Crown Court on 5 February as the 12th Duke of Marlborough, a member of Britain’s aristocracy.
Related as a first cousin three times removed of Sir Winston Churchill and also distantly related to Diana through the Spencer line, became the 12th Duke in 2014 following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.
The twice-married Spencer-Churchill, known as Jamie Blandford and previously the Marquess of Blandford, married his second wife, Edla Griffiths, in 2002, but the couple separated in 2024.
Blenheim Palace, the 300-year-old ancestral home of the Duke and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, is not owned by him, with the 18th-century estate run independently.
The palace is under the ownership and management of the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.
How did the foundation respond to charges against the Duke of Marlborough?
A spokesperson for the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation said,
“Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware legal proceedings have been brought against the Duke of Marlborough. 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.”
They added,
“The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees.”
How does UK law define and punish intentional strangulation?
Section 70 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which changed the Serious Crime Act, came into force on 7 June 2022 and applies to intentional strangling, not just in homes.
The law says it’s a crime if someone intentionally strangles another person, pressing the neck and making it hard to breathe or for blood to flow, even if no injury is visible or harm was not intended.
Intentional strangulation is a serious offence. A Crown Court can give up to five years in prison, or seven years if the act is racially or religiously motivated.