Churchill Who Saved Blenheim
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History has been unkind to Sunny Marlborough, largely because it was written by his first
wife, the ‘dollar princess’ Consuelo Vanderbilt. It is true that he was not an easy man and
their marriage was indeed an unhappy one. However the unhappiness of his marriage to
Consuelo was not all his fault, in fact it would be fair to say that he was more sinned against
than sinning. His second wife, Gladys Deacon, proved far too unstable to be the love and
companion of his life. Sadly he needed to be loved but he never found a woman who loved him
enough. Added to these stresses and strains, he lived through a time of great change and felt
the responsibility of preserving his home, Blenheim Palace, and the way of life he knew, most
keenly. He was a quiet, well educated, introverted man who took his role as head of a great
estate most seriously. He cared for his tenants and his servants. To those he loved, he was loyal,
generous, unfailingly helpful, and courteous but when necessary he was also that rare and
valuable thing, a critical friend. He left Blenheim in a far better state than he found it. This was
his greatest achievement.
"For too long the 9th Duke of Marlborough, the ‘Builder Duke’, has been hidden in the wings - a misunderstood figure, wickedly traduced in the memoirs of his first wife, Consuelo Vanderbilt. Now at last we see how he sacrificed his personal happiness to save and embellish Blenheim. The book opens with a devastating pistol shot which will astound anyone interested in those Anglo-American alliances." Hugo Vickers, Biographer of Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough
Michael Waterhouse is the grandson of the 9th Duke, and the author of Edwardian Requiem –
A Life of Sir Edward Grey, Th e Cottage Book – Country Diary of Edwardian Statesman and The
State of England’s Birds. Karen Wiseman was head of education at Blenheim Palace and is a
leading reseacher and archivist on the Malborough family and Blenheim.