Duke of Marlborough accused of strangling wife

AFP

18 Dec, 2025 07:14 PM2 mins to read

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The Duke of Marlborough is accused of strangling his second wife, Edla Griffiths. Photo / Getty Images

A British aristocrat related to Princess Diana and World War II premier Winston Churchill is facing charges of strangling his estranged wife, court documents show.

The Duke of Marlborough, 70, had been summoned to appear at Oxford Magistrates Court in central England on three charges of non-fatal intentional strangulation against
his second wife, Edla Marlborough, between November 2022 and May 2024.

But Judge Kamlesh Rana was told he was “unable to attend” Thursday’s hearing, and the case is due to be relisted for January 5.

Charles Spencer-Churchill, known as Jamie, is a member of one of Britain’s most aristocratic families.

Winston Churchill, the duke’s first cousin three times removed, was born at Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the dukes of Marlborough.