The Duke of Marlborough has denied strangling his estranged wife during an appearance at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court earlier today.
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, who is a great-nephew of Sir Winston Churchill and relative of the late Princess Diana, indicated he would plead not guilty to three counts of intentional strangulation.
The Duke of Marlborough was released on bail and will next appear at Oxford Crown Court on February 5.
The charges relate to alleged attacks on his estranged wife, Edla Marlborough, which prosecutors say occurred in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, over an 18-month period spanning November 2022 to May 2024.
According to court documents, the first alleged incident took place on November 13, 2022, when the Duke purportedly hit Edla “several times” following a dispute in the garden before “squeezing his hands around her neck”.
A second alleged attack occurred on April 23, 2023, in a laundry room, where Mr Spencer-Churchill is accused of pursuing, seizing and striking his wife before strangling her.
The court heard Edla shouted for their nanny because she was “scared and frightened”.
The third alleged assault happened on January 29, 2024, when the Duke reportedly forced Edla onto a bed and placed his hands tightly around her throat.
The Duke of Marlborough has denied strangling his estranged wife during an appearance at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court earlier today
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The Duke of Marlborough was detained by police in May last year.
The 70-year-old, known within his family as Jamie, holds one of Britain’s most prestigious aristocratic titles.
He inherited the dukedom in 2014 following his father’s death.
The Duke wed Edla, a ceramicist from Wales, in 2002 after the pair met while she was residing in Chelsea.
Their seven-year marriage produced two children: Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill, an equestrian, and Lord Caspar Spencer-Churchill.
The estranged couple met while she was living in Chelsea and working on their art.
However, the pair are said to have separated in 2024.
Prior to this union, Spencer-Churchill was married to Becky Few-Brown.
The couple shares the Duke of Marlborough’s eldest son and heir, George, the current Marquess of Blandford, who is a known polo player.
However, Spencer-Churchill divorced Ms Brown in 1998 after just four years of marriage.
The Duke’s ancestral seat is the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, located in Woodstock.
Spencer-Churchill neither owns the 18th-century stately home nor plays any part in managing the extensive estate.
Mr Spencer-Churchill was granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Oxford Crown Court on February 5
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The property is controlled by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, which issued a statement acknowledging the legal proceedings.
A spokesman said: “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.”
Mr Spencer-Churchill was granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Oxford Crown Court on February 5.