Every history buff wishes that walls could talk. In this first book ever written about Blenheim and the Churchills by a family member, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill explores the relationship between one of history's most important families and its ancestral home. As though perusing a family album, she conveys the family's exceptional history and how each generation changed the estate and how it changed them. Momentous events that changed the course of history are recounted as family reminiscences. Blenheim was a reward from Queen Anne to the first Duke of Marlborough for saving much of Europe from the domination of Louis XIV, and instantly became the family's center stage. Sir Winston Churchill was born in a back bedroom to his American-born mother, Jennie Jerome. Later, he directed Britain's World War II efforts from its study. Blenheim has witnessed some of history's most colorful characters including the ancestors of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Consuelo Vanderbilt, the American heiress who conquered British high society.Widely considered England's finest example of baroque architecture, this is a rare glimpse into parts of the house never seen on public tours, and no history buff or visitor will want to be without this remarkable guide.

History has not been kind to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, or "Sunny," as he was known. This is because, as Michael Waterhouse and Karen Wiseman reveal, it was largely written by his first wife, the "dollar princess" Consuelo Vanderbilt. Not an easy man, their marriage was indeed an unhappy one. However, he was not entirely to blame for the unhappiness of his marriage to Consuelo; in fact, it would be fair to say that he was sinned against more than sinned. His second wife, Gladys Deacon, proved far too unstable to be the love and companion of his life. Though he needed love, he never found a woman who loved him enough. In The Churchill Who Saved Blenheim, Waterhouse and Wiseman give us the life of a man who lived through a time of great change and felt the responsibility of preserving his home, Blenheim Palace, and the way of life he knew. 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, and 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. And this is his story.

This memoir was first published in 1930 and describes the author's school days, his time in the Army, his experiences as a war correspondent and his first years as a member of Parliament.

Sir Winston Churchill’s paternal grandmother and the mother of Randolph Churchill, the 7th Duchess of Marlborough, has been a minor figure in many works, yet hers is a fascinating story. Frances Anne Emily Vane-Tempest-Stewart’s family background, as well as her own life, is steeped in great historical names and occasions, from being the eldest daughter of Wellington’s second-in-command in the Napoleonic Wars to being a lifelong personal friend of Queen Victoria. Frances’ arrival at Blenheim Palace in 1843 as the bride of John Winston, 7th Marquess of Blandford, resulted in the great ancestral seat’s regeneration, and from there she gave loyal support not only to her husband and her younger son, Randolph, but also to her famous grandson, Winston Churchill, shaping his character, ambitions and later achievements. Alongside the influence she had over her family, her own crowning achievement was the part she played in averting the effects of the Irish potato famine of 1879, which threatened to repeat the extensive loss of life of the 1840s famine. Churchill’s Grandmama is an absorbing, remarkable biography that restores a most gracious woman to her proper place at Blenheim.

Drawing on the exclusive use of new family papers from the estate of the late Peregrine Churchill, son of Winston's brother, Jack, this new study of the remarkable Churchill family radically challenges many existing myths surrounding them.

Beautiful, rich, and powerful, the Churchills dominated world politics for generations—but like every family, they too have their secrets. Winston Churchill is arguably the most famous Briton, but a shroud of mystery still surrounds him and his family—Winston's mother, Jennie had a secret affair with the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and her spendthrift habits devastated their reputation. The younger brother, Jack, has been largely forgotten, but played a crucial role both in Winston's successes, and in holding the family together during the tough times—all this in addition to the myths propagated by Winston's political enemies that persist to this day. From Sir Randolph's alleged syphilis to Winston's illegitimacy, and from Jennie's gambling problem to Jack's dashed ambitions, authors Celia and John Lee use never before seen archives to cut through the rumors and lies and get to the truth about the life of the former prime minister and his relationship with his family. Chock full of intrigue and scandal, The Churchills finally sets the record straight regarding one of the world's greatest dynasties.

The first book ever written by a family member about one of England's best-known dynasties, BLENHEIM AND THE CHURCHILL FAMILY is a unique record of the private life of the Marlboroughs behind the scenes of a great house. A palace in England that is also a family home, Blenheim Palace is one of Europe's most important pieces of Baroque architecture and a World Heritage site. Built by a grateful nation to celebrate John Churchill's famous victory of Louis XIV at the Battle of Blenhheim in 1704, this spectacular historical monument is also the birthplace of the Greatest Briton of them all, Winston Churchill. Packed full of previously unseen private photographs, paintings, and family papers and letters, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill provides us with the behind-the-scenes view of her ancestors' personal lives from 1700 to today. Moving through eleven generations of dukes, Henrietta reveals the scandals, debts and extravagances of her forefathers, as well as their additions to Blenheim.

Respected author and designer Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s newest book inspires us to incorporate time-tested design principles into modern living. A noted authority on period homes and historic styles, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill celebrates the life of great rooms over the years and the evolution of their architectural features and interior decoration. Featuring a stunning selection of historic homes in both England and the United States, The Life of the House reveals the best of architectural and furnishing details from the last three hundred years, with ideas on updating these spaces for modern times. The book is organized by room, including the living room, from formal reception rooms to the modern-day family room; the library, once a gentleman’s retreat and now often a home office or den; the dining room, once a formal status symbol, now frequently a casual open-plan room; and the kitchen, once a servants’ area, now a multifunctional family space. Chapters on creative modern uses of such traditional rooms as ballrooms and conservatories are also included. With photographs of exquisite interiors from every important historical period and Spencer-Churchill’s fascinating text revealing life behind the scenes in these houses, this book is filled with creative ideas on incorporating traditional style into contemporary settings.