Winston Churchill's great nephew charged with three counts of intentional strangulation

He is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following his arrest on May 13 last year.

The three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation are alleged to have taken place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, against the same person, police said.

Mr Spencer-Churchill, known to his family as Jamie, is the 12th Duke of Marlborough and a member of one of Britain’s most aristocratic families.

His ancestral family home is the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock.

The palace is owned and managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation.

A spokesperson for the foundation said: “Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation is aware legal proceedings have been brought against the Duke of Marlborough.

“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.

“The foundation is not owned or managed by the Duke of Marlborough, but by independent entities run by boards of trustees.”

Mr Spencer-Churchill is known for a long battle with drug addiction in the past.

He is related to wartime prime minister Sir Winston - a first cousin, three times removed.

The Duke of Marlborough is also distantly related to Diana through the Spencer line.

Mr Spencer-Churchill inherited his dukedom in 2014, following the death of his father, the 11th Duke of Marlborough.

The twice-married duke was previously the Marquess of Blandford.

His ancestral home. Blemheim Palace, was used by the King for a reception for European leaders in July 2024.

The Queen, then the Duchess of Cornwall, joined Mr Spencer-Churchill for the unveiling of a bust of Sir Winston in the Blenheim grounds in 2015.