John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough

The Most Noble John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (May 26, 1650 – June 16, 1722), in full The Most Noble Captain-General John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Earl of Marlborough, Baron Churchill of Sandridge, Lord Churchill of Eyemouth, KG, PC (in addition to these English and Scottish titles he was also Prince of Mindelheim and a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire), was an English military officer during the War of the Spanish Succession. Churchill is generally considered the greatest military genius that Britain has produced. Historian Sir Edward Creasy wrote that " never fought a battle that he did not win, and never besieged a place that he did not take."

Return to prominence, and death

The Queen died on August 1, 1714. After the succession of George I, Marlborough returned to England. By that time, the Whigs were once again in office. His reputation was irrevocably damaged from the 1711 revelations of his financial misdeeds, and they refused to serve under him and therefore he was unable to return to power. However, they gave him the lucrative, though nominal, post of Commander-in-Chief. He settled into retirement and spent most of his remaining days working on his new home, Blenheim Palace. At his death in 1722 he had been suffering from paralysis and softening of the brain. Although the duke and duchess moved into the palace, it was not completed until after the duke's death. In 1730, Sarah commissioned a joint tomb for the chapel, and her husband's body was returned there from Westminster Abbey.

Related Topics:
1714 - George I - Blenheim Palace - 1722 - Softening of the brain - Chapel - Westminster Abbey

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Marlborough acquired a notable art collection, which was sold by his descendents in the 19th century to pay off debts.

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