Description
The granddaughter of Winston Churchill traces the dramatic history of one of Britain's leading families and the estate that they have called home for three centuries, looking at Blenheim, the traditional home of the Duke of Marlborough, from the time of the first duke during the reign of Queen Anne, through the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, and beyond.
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Blenheim Palace was built for Henrietta Spencer-Churchill's great ancestor, the military leader John Churchill, and his charismatic and powerful wife Sarah Jennings, who became the first Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. It was a gift from Queen Anne and a grateful nation after Marlborough saved Europe from domination by Louis XIV in the early 1700s.Blenheim is one of the most important buildings in Europe, and the only palace in England that is still lived in as a family home. Acknowledged as the finest example of Baroque architecture in Britain, the palace is decorated and furnished to an equally lavish standard with art from all over Europe - as the English King George III enviously remarked "we have nothing to equal this."But the real story of Blenheim lies with the Spencer-Churchill family, who have lived in it for the past 300 years, and theirs is a story as turbulent, fascinating, and momentous as the conflicts that surrounded its origins. In the first book about Blenheim ever written by one of the family, Blenheim and the Churchill Family is filled with anecdotes, gossip, and intrigue, tracing the story of a glamorous dynasty from 1700 to modern times. This is the inside story, pieced together from the family archives, showing how the personalities of each Duke and Duchess have influenced the progress of the great house through the centuries.Blenheim also has interesting tales to tell apart from the ducal dynasty: a small back bedroom was the birthplace of World War II leader Sir Winston Churchill, and the palace has also been home to some controversial figures from history including the late Diana, Princess of Wales's ancestors, the glamorous heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, Winston's New Yorker mother Jennie Jerome, and, more recently, shipping heiress Christina Onassis.Henrietta's portrait of life at Blenheim is the first modern picture of how each generation has lived in the house, noting how the house has changed and evolved. Within each section, self-contained features give the book the feel of a private family album, showing personal letters, photographs, and newly published papers.
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