The 11th Duke of Marlborough died this morning at the age of 88, Blenheim Palace has said.
The Duke, whose full name was John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, was a cousin of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill and lived at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
His title will now pass to his son, former drug addict and ex-convict, the Marquess of Blandford, 58.
A spokesman for the palace said: 'With great sadness, we announce that the 11th Duke of Marlborough passed away peacefully this morning.
The 11th Duke of Marlborough, pictured at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, with fourth wife Lily Mahtani, has died
Two generations: The Marquess of Blandford, pictured left, will now become the 12th Duke of Marlborough
'Further announcements will be made in due course. As per his wishes, the palace will be open as normal today.'
The Duke is survived by his fourth wife, Persian-born Lily Mahtani, and his four children: the Marquess of Blandford, Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, 56, Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill, 40, and Lady Alexandra Spencer-Churchill, 38.
The marquess, his eldest surviving child, battled addictions to heroin and cocaine and three spells in prison, which resulted in his father taking legal action to prevent him from inheriting the 11,500-acre estate, where Churchill was born.
The 11th duke, pictured left at a countryside event last month, and right with his fourth wife, Lily Mahtani
Blenheim Palace was a reward from Queen Anne to the first Duke of Marlborough for victory over the French
Today the Prime Minister paid tribute to the Duke, saying: 'I am greatly saddened to hear of the death of the Duke of Marlborough. To me, he was not only the Vice-President of my Association but also a good man and friend.
'His Grace will be deeply missed by all those he worked alongside at Blenheim and by the town of Woodstock where he played such a positive and active role in the community he loved.
'My thoughts and prayers are with all his family and friends at this sad time.'
The 11th Duke married WHSmith heiress Susan Hornby, mother of the Marquess of Blandord, in 1951
Blenheim Palace was a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, in 1704.
It was a reward for his victory over the army of Louis XIV of France in the Spanish War of Succession.
Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim, which became a world heritage site under the stewardship of the 12th Duke. The 200sq ft estate has 187 rooms, dwarfing Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle,and attracts about 500,000 visitors every year.
\Source: UK Mail
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