The Duke of Marlborough has refuted allegations of strangling his estranged wife, Edla Marlborough. Charles James Spencer-Churchill, a descendant of Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, faces charges of three intentional strangulation incidents involving Edla Marlborough from November 2022 to May 2024. During his recent appearance at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court, Spencer-Churchill declared his intention to plead not guilty following his arrest in 2024.
According to court proceedings, Spencer-Churchill is accused of physically assaulting Ms. Marlborough after a dispute in their garden on November 13, 2022, where he allegedly placed his hands around her neck. Another incident on April 23, 2023, reportedly saw Ms. Marlborough seek refuge in a laundry room before being assaulted and strangled by the defendant, who listed his address as Blenheim Palace.
The final accusation states that the duke forcefully pushed Ms. Marlborough onto a bed and assaulted her while gripping her neck tightly on January 29, 2024. Spencer-Churchill, appearing in court dressed in a navy suit, white shirt, and blue tie, confirmed his personal details and not guilty pleas.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted the 70-year-old duke conditional bail, scheduling his next court appearance at Oxford Crown Court on February 5 for formal plea entries. Spencer-Churchill married Edla Griffiths in 2002, and they separated in 2024, having two children together, Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill and Lord Caspar Spencer-Churchill.
Inheriting his dukedom in 2014 after his father’s passing, Spencer-Churchill’s family home is the historic Blenheim Palace in Woodstock. Despite the legal issues, the estate, managed by Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, stated that it cannot comment on the ongoing criminal proceedings concerning the duke’s personal life.