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The Duke of Marlborough is one of five titles in the Peerage of England. It is mainly associated with the Marlborough family, which has played significant roles in British history. The title was created in 1702 for the military leader [[John Churchill]] and refers to the city of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England. Founder of the title is Queen Anne. The family seat is [[Blenheim Palace]] in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. It is one of the most popular country houses in England and was visited by almost 950.000 people from 2019 to 2020.

==History==

The history of the dukedom goes back to the [[Glorious Revolution]]. John Churchill was a well respected commander and a key figure in the removal of [[King James II]]. He supported the landing of [[William of Orange]] and was therefore rewarded with the 'Earldom of Marlborough'. After several disputes, which temporally made him a prisoner in the Tower of London, Churchill was rehabilitated in 1698. He was the commander-in-chief during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. With the rise of Queen Anne in 1702, the situation got even better for Churchill. His successful military campaign was rewarded by the Queen with the title 'Duke of Marlborough' in 1702. It is worth mentioning that Churchill's wife had been friends with Queen Anne for a long time. When Churchill died in 1722, his eldest Son had already been dead. Therefore, the title passed to his eldest daughter Henrietta, becoming the first and only female Duke of Marlborough, so far. 

Since then, several generations of the Marlborough family have inherited the title. All of them have filled prominent positions within British society. The current duke is Charles James Spencer-Churchill, who followed after the death of his predecessor John Spencer-Churchill in 2014. James Spencer-Churchill is the 12th duke of Marlborough.

==Sources and further reading==

*Cracroft's Peerage: http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/marlborough1702.htm

*Jones, J.R. Marlborough. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1993.

*"Blenheim Palace". Encyclopedia Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 07.Nov.2009.