John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough

John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, JP, DL (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 known as "Sunny" after his courtesy title of Earl of Sunderland.

His Grace The Duke of Marlborough JP DL
Portrait by Allan Warren, 1984
Member of the House of Lords as Duke of Marlborough
In office 10 March 1972 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 10th Duke of Marlborough
Succeeded by	House of Lords Act 1999
Personal details
Born	John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill (1926-04-13)13 April 1926 Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England
Died	16 October 2014(2014-10-16) (aged 88) Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England
Spouses	Susan Mary Hornby ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1961)​ Tina Onassis ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1971)​ Countess Rosita Douglas ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 2008)​ Lily Sahni ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	John Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill Lady Alexandra Spencer-Churchill
Parents	John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough Hon. Alexandra Cadogan
Residence	Blenheim Palace

His principal seat was Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire. He was ranked 224th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2004, with an estimated wealth of £185 million.

Life and work

He was educated at Eton College and served seven years in the Life Guards, in which he achieved the rank of captain. In 1972, on inheriting the Dukedom of Marlborough, he assumed the management of Blenheim Palace and the Blenheim estate.

To fund the maintenance of the house, he opened it to visitors and as a film set, and established a number of businesses, including a garden furniture company and a water bottling plant.^[1]

He was also active in a range of organisations, including the Thames and Chilterns Tourist Board and Oxford United Football Club. He served as vice-president of the Witney Conservative Association, the local party of David Cameron.

He died in 2014 at the age of 88.^[2]

Marriages and issue

Marlborough was married four times and had a total of six children, two of whom died in infancy.^{[citation needed]}

Firstly, he married Susan Mary Hornby (1929–2005), daughter of Michael Charles St John Hornby and Nicolette Joan Ward, on 19 October 1951.^[3] They divorced in 1961 after having three children:

• John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (17 November 1952 – 14 May 1955), a godson of Princess Margaret^{[citation needed]}
• Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (24 November 1955); married, firstly, Rebecca Few-Brown on 24 February 1990. They have one son, George, and were divorced in 1998. In 2002, he married Edla Griffiths, with whom he has two children.^{[citation needed]}
• Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (7 October 1958); married German banker Nathan Gelber in 1980 and they were divorced in 1989. They have two sons.^{[citation needed]}

Secondly, on 23 October 1961, he married Athina Onassis (née Livanos), former wife of Aristotle Onassis, and daughter of Stavros Livanos. They were divorced in March 1971 and had no children.^{[citation needed]}

Thirdly, on 20 May 1972, he married Countess Rosita Douglas-Stjernorp, daughter of ambassador Count Carl Douglas-Stjernorp and Ottora Haas-Heye. They had three children and were divorced in 2008.^[4]

• Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill (born and died 1973)^{[citation needed]}
• Lord Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1974), a management consultant. He dated Annabelle Neilson, a socialite, between 2002 and 2009.^[5] He married Kimberly "Kimi" Hammerstroem, a German photographer;^[6] they had a civil ceremony at Mayfair Library in London on 4 July 2018, followed by a religious ceremony at Blenheim Palace on 7 July.^[7]
• Lady Alexandra Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill (born 1977)^{[citation needed]}

Finally, at the age of 82, Marlborough married Lily Mahtani (née Sahni; born c. 1954–57 in Iran) 3 December 2008 in the Private Chapel at Blenheim.^[8] There were no children from this marriage.

Titles and appointments

Titles

• Earl of Sunderland (1926–1934)
• Marquess of Blandford (1934–1972)
• His Grace The Duke of Marlborough (1972–2014)

Appointments

• Justice of the Peace
• Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire

Arms

Coat of arms of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough

Adopted 1817 by the 5th Duke of Marlborough Coronet The coronet of a Duke Crest 1st: a lion couchant guardant Argent supporting a banner Gules charged with a dexter hand couped Argent (Churchill) 2nd: out of a ducal coronet Or a griffin's head between two wings expanded Argent gorged with a collar gemel and armed Gules (Spencer) Escutcheon Quarterly: 1 and 4th, Sable a lion rampant Argent, on a canton of the second a cross Gules (Churchill); 2 and 3rd, quarterly Argent and Gules a fret Or, over all on a bend Sable three Escallops of the first (Spencer); over all in the centre chief point (as an augmentation of honour) an escutcheon Argent charged with the cross of Saint George surmounted by an inescutcheon Azure charged with three fleurs-de-lys Or, two over one Supporters On either side, a wyvern wings elevated Gules Motto FIEL PERO DESDICHADO (Spanish for "FAITHFUL, THOUGH UNFORTUNATE")

Ancestry

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

8. George Spencer-Churchill, 8th Duke of Marlborough 4. Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough 9. Lady Albertha Hamilton 2. John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough 10. William Kissam Vanderbilt 5. Consuelo Vanderbilt 11. Alva Smith 1. John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough 12. George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan 6. Henry Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea 13. Lady Beatrix Craven 3. The Hon. Alexandra Mary Cadogan 14. Henry Sturt, 1st Baron Alington 7. The Hon. Mildred Sturt 15. Lady Augusta Bingham