John Spencer-Churchill

John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, JP, DL, (13 April 1926 – 16 October 2014), was the son of Lt.-Col. John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Hon. Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan. He was also a relation of The Duke of Devonshire and a generational cousin of the war-time Conservative Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. He was also a distant relative of Diana, Princess of Wales as both belong to the Spencer family, and of the Vanderbilt family through his paternal grandmother, Consuelo Vanderbilt.

His principal seat was Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

The Duke of Marlborough ranked 224th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2004, with an estimated wealth of £185m.

His death was announced on the morning of 16 October 2014 by Blenheim Palace.

Spouses and children

1. The then Marquess of Blandford married Susan Mary Hornby, daughter of Michael Charles St John Hornby and Nicolette Joan Ward on 19 October 1951. They divorced in 1961. The Marquess and Marchioness had three children:

• John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (1952–1955), a god-son of Princess Margaret.
• Charles James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough (born 1955)
• Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill (born 1958)

2. He then married Athina Onassis, née Livanos, former wife of Aristotle Onassis, and daughter of Stavros Livanos. They were married from 1961 until their divorce in 1971. The marriage produced no children.

3. Thirdly, he married Countess Rosita Douglas-Stjernorp, daughter of ambassador Count Carl Douglas-Stjernorp and Ottora Haas-Heye on 20 May 1972. They divorced on 15 May 2008. They have three children:

• Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill (born 1973; died four months later)
• Lord Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1974)
• Lady Alexandra Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill (born 1977)

4. The Duke married fourthly 3 December 2008 in the Private Chapel at Blenheim Lily Mahtani née Sahni (born ca. 1957 Iran), former wife of Ratan Mahtani, a wealthy Indian expatriate businessman, by whom she had three children.

Titles and honours

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

• Justice of the Peace
• Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire