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Duke of Marlborough Pleads Not Guilty to Domestic Charges

2/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, pleads not guilty to charges that include strangling his estranged wife Edla Marlborough on three occasions and engaging in controlling behavior.
The incidents occurred between November 2022 and January 2024.
He was granted conditional bail, with a provisional trial date set for January 10, 2028.
Blenheim Palace, his ancestral home, is managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, not by the duke.

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Story summary

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough, pleads not guilty to charges that include strangling his estranged wife Edla Marlborough on three occasions and engaging in controlling behavior.
The incidents occurred between November 2022 and January 2024.
He was granted conditional bail, with a provisional trial date set for January 10, 2028.
Blenheim Palace, his ancestral home, is managed by the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, not by the duke.