The 11th Duke of Marlborough 1926-2014

. His Grace the Duke of Marlborough, 11th duke in the Peerage of England (cr 1702), died 16 October, 2014. He was 88.

John George Henry Vanderbilt (Sunny) Spencer-Churchill was born  13 Apr, 1926, elder son of the 10th Duke (1897-1972), by his wife the former Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan (1900-61), and succeeded to the Marlborough peerages and the Blenheim Palace estate, Oxfordshire, on his father's demise, 11 March, 1972.

The Duke of Marlborough was four times wed. His first marriage, 1951 (div 1960) was to Susan Mary Hornby (who died 2005). He married 2ndly, 1961 (div 1971), Athina Mary Onassis, former wife of Aristotle Onassis, and dau of Stavros Livanos; married 3rdly, 1972 (div 2008) Countess Dagmar Rosita Astri Libertas Douglas (b 1943); married 4thly, 2008, Mrs Lily Mahtani.

The duke is survived by his fourth wife and two children from the first marriage, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill (b 1958), and Charles James, styled Marquess of Blandford (b 24 Nov, 1955), and by two children, Lord Edward (b 1974) and Lady Alexandra Spencer-Churchill (b 1977), from his third union.

The dukedom and numerous subsidiary peerages now devolve upon the duke's eldest surviving son, the Marquess of Blandford.

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