How is UK's Duke of Marlborough related to Princess Diana? The late royal's relative faces intentional strangulation charge in criminal probe

The Duke of Marlborough has landed himself in legal trouble following intentional strangulation charges against him. Known as a Spencer family member, Charles James Spencer-Churchill is a distant relative of Princess Diana. He is also the first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill, three times removed.

According to People magazine, the charges against Charles are linked to some incidents that happened around three years ago. The cases allegedly continued until 2024. The victim’s identity is yet to be made official. As per USA Today, James Spencer-Churchill was asked to appear at the court on Thursday, December 18, for the matter.

The Thames Valley Police spoke to People magazine, revealing that three counts of intentional strangulation have been imposed on the Duke of Marlborough. They claimed that it was a result of Charles reportedly hitting an individual a few times.

As of this writing, Charles has not shared any direct response. However, the BBC obtained a statement from the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, the owner of his family’s original Woodstock-based residence.

The statement read:

“The foundation is unable to comment on the charges, which relate to the duke’s personal conduct and private life, and which are subject to live, criminal proceedings.”

While the Duke’s presence at the court has been scheduled, further updates on the legal matter are currently awaited. The latest issue happened around a year after Charles was arrested.

Duke of Marlborough has previously faced similar issues: Past legal issues and more explained

The Oxford, England, native has been creating headlines after being recently charged. However, this is not the first time that Charles James Spencer-Churchill has had a confrontation with the law.

Also known as Jamie Blanford, his drug addiction created trouble for him a long time ago in 1995. As per The Telegraph, he had to get some fake prescriptions for the same, following which he was sent to prison for a month. More than 10 years later, he pleaded guilty to multiple driving charges in court.

The Duke of Marlborough faced similar accusations in Coventry, and he admitted to a count of dangerous driving. Charles did the same for a few more allegations, such as criminal damage. All of these were linked to incidents that happened in Oxon and Oxfordshire.

The Telegraph stated that in one of the cases, he tailgated a few people and kicked at a car door. He had allegedly blocked the roads by overtaking a motorist named Graeme Kennedy, who applied brakes at one point when Charles was not moving further.

Apart from these, the Duke of Marlborough has been a part of a TV show called Famous, Rich and Homeless. Back in July last year, he was trending again due to his plans to make some changes at the Blenheim Palace. The Daily Mail stated that he has not resided at the palace for a decade. A planning paper addressed the reason for the same, as it said:

“While the 11^th Duke lived in the palace, his successor and their heirs wish for more privacy and a more informal home.”

The Duke of Marlborough has three children born from his marriages to Rebecca Mary Few Brown and Edla Griffiths.