Duke of Marlborough denies claim estranged wife was strangled

Update — 1/6/26 12:58pm ET: a deceased relative princess dianea denies accusations that he strangled his estranged wife on three separate occasions.

Monday, January 5, Charles James Spencer-Churchill Appeared in a UK court and entered a not guilty plea to three counts of intentional strangulation, stemming from incidents alleged to have occurred between November 2022 and January 2024.

Spencer-Churchill, 70, gave his address in court as Blenheim Palace, his family’s ancestral estate. He has been released on bail and a subsequent court hearing is scheduled for February 5.

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The duke, who is related to his late first wife Princess Diana king charles iiiand British wartime leaders Winston Churchill He was accused of intentional strangulation in the UK, according to multiple reports.

The charges against Charles James Spencer-Churchill stem from three alleged incidents that authorities say occurred over an 18-month period. Report independent.

Spencer-Churchill, the 12th Duke of Marlborough, was arrested more than a year ago on May 13, 2024, on three counts of intentional strangulation after the same man accused the 70-year-old of assaulting them. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation.

formerly known as Jamie BlandfordSpencer-Churchill is alleged to have attacked the victim in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, between November 2022 and May 2024.

The alleged attack was not fatal and the victim’s name has not been released. The alleged motive for the attack has also not been disclosed.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Spencer Churchill is a distant cousin of Sir Winston Churchill and has three distant relatives. He lives at Woodstock’s 300-year-old Blenheim Palace, his family’s ancestral estate. It is also the birthplace of the late British Prime Minister.

However, the estate is owned by a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the station.

The Duke is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 18.

a spokesperson said in a statement independent “The Blenheim Palace Heritage Trust is aware that legal proceedings have been initiated against the Duke of Marlborough.

“The Foundation is unable to comment on these allegations, which relate to the Duke’s personal conduct and private life and will be subject to on-site criminal proceedings,” the Foundation continued. “The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough but is an independent entity governed by a board of directors.”

Spencer Churchill was the eldest surviving son of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife. Susan Marie Hornby. A member of the Spencer family, he is a distant relative of the late Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, who died in a horrific car accident on August 31, 1997.

Spencer-Churchill is said to have inherited the dukedom after his father’s death in 2014. Before that, Spencer-Churchill, who had been married twice, was the Marquess of Blandford.
The charges against the Duke were actually brought under his former name.

The 18th-century Baroque palace where Spencer Churchill lived has a storied past.

In 2019, thieves broke into the palace and stole an 18-karat gold toilet worth $6 million from one of the bathrooms.

As early as July 2024, King Charles III hosted a reception for European leaders at Blenheim Palace, and the Queen (then Duchess of Cornwall) unveiled a bust of Churchill at Blenheim Palace in 2015 together with Spencer Churchill.

The castle has also hosted presidents Donald Trump Back in 2018.

independent According to reports, Spencer-Churchill “is known to have had a lengthy battle with drug addiction in the past.”

The charges were brought as Spencer-Churchill prepares to stand trial in January 2026 for allegedly driving 80mph in a 50mph zone in Yarnton, Report oxford mail.

He is also accused of failing to provide the identity of a driver charged with an offence.

US Weekly Representatives for Spencer-Churchill could not be reached for comment.