Gilded staterooms, acres of landscaped gardens, private apartments, secret corridors, and even an iconic bell system comprise the stately Blenheim Palace, one of the most visited and renowned of all Britain’s stately homes. We are privileged to host the twelfth generation of Blenheim’s proprietors, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, interior designer and daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, to walk us through the halls of her family estate through her newest publication, Blenheim: 300 Years of Life in a Palace. Having been in the Churchill family for 320 years, the estate was the birthplace of Winston Churchill and designed by a protégé of Christopher Wren in the early 1700s. Throughout, its stonework, furniture, and tapestries crafted by the best talents of the time sit alongside works from notable artists as John Singer Sargent and Joshua Reynolds – a preserved window of time in the history of England’s heritage and culture. In partnership with the Royal Oaks Foundation, the CLS is proud to host Lady Henrietta to share first-hand her experiences as the palace’s steward and the importance of perpetuating its restoration to bring the estate into the 21st century.
About the Book
Regarded as perhaps the greatest of the stately homes and the finest example of baroque architecture in Great Britain, Blenheim is a treasure of English heritage. In this stunning volume, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, the twelfth generation of the family, takes us on a privileged tour of the palace. In addition to the gilded staterooms and acres of landscaped gardens, Spencer-Churchill shows us the family’s private apartments, with their secret corridors and history of illustrious guests, as well as the “downstairs” staff area with its iconic bell system. With beautiful photography of the magnificent interiors and priceless collections and Spencer-Churchill’s fascinating text, this volume illuminates Blenheim as it’s never been seen before.
About the Author
Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill is an English interior decorator and founder of Woodstock Designs. Lady Henrietta is the youngest child and only daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough by his first wife Susan Mary, daughter of Michael Hornby. She is the great-granddaughter of Consuelo Vanderbilt and the step-sister of Christina Onassis through her father’s second marriage to Tina Onassis, former wife of Aristotle Onassis. Her name has been more than once included in a list of 100 Leading Interior Designers by House & Garden magazine. She is the author of several books on the subject, as well as Blenheim and the Churchill Family: A Personal Portrait (2005), an historical and anecdotal account of her family home, Blenheim Palace. She was married to German banker Nathan Gelber from 1980 to 1989, with whom she has sons David Aba Gelber and Maximilian Henry Gelber.
About Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a country house in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. Originally called Blenheim Castle, it has been known as Blenheim Palace since the 19th century. One of England’s largest houses, it was built between 1705 and 1722, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The palace is named after the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. It was originally intended to be a reward to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough for his military triumphs against the French and Bavarians in the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the Battle of Blenheim. The land was given as a gift, and construction began in 1705, with some financial support from Queen Anne. The project soon became the subject of political infighting, with the Crown cancelling further financial support in 1712, Marlborough’s three-year voluntary exile to the Continent, the fall from influence of his duchess, and lasting damage to the reputation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh. Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720s. It is unique in its combined use as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill. Following the palace’s completion, it became the home of the Churchill (later Spencer-Churchill) family for the next 300 years, and various members of the family have wrought changes to the interiors, park and gardens. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was saved from ruin by funds gained from the 9th Duke of Marlborough’s marriage to American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt.
About the Royal Oak Foundation
The Royal Oak Foundation seeks to raise awareness of and advance the work of the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland by inspiring support from the United States for the Trust’s efforts to preserve and protect historic places and spaces—forever, for everyone. In the United States, Royal Oak offers a wide range of programs and activities focused on the National Trust, British art and architecture, fine & decorative arts, gardens, and history, as well as conservation and historic preservation. These tours and day trips, as well as our Royal Oak Lecture Series, are offered in cities across the U.S. As an independent American not-for-profit organization, Royal Oak fundraises for National Trust priorities and offers Americans a tax deduction for their contributions and membership dues. Overly nearly 50 years, the Foundation has raised and granted almost $20 million to support the work of the National Trust. Projects range from the acquisition of important coastline to restoring historic houses, to helping re-acquire works of art separated from their original properties. Royal Oak also sponsors selected Fellowships for Americans who wish to learn more about the National Trust and the rich heritage of Great Britain.
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