Battle and Provisions.
The Palace – a history.
What's on at the palace.
‘It is an Italian Palace in an English landscape married together perfectly, a flamboyant, dramatic design inspired to trumpet a victory.’ Sir Winston Churchill
We want to tell you more about the Palace, so you too can be inspired by the Blenheim story. It is as vibrant and vital today as it was in the 18th Century, and over 500k people visit it every year. Every inch of it has been shaped by its history and the influence of every Duke, and that heritage is now being passionately conserved and celebrated by the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his family.
The Palace was created to celebrate victory over the French during the Wars
of the Spanish Succession. It was a gift to John Churchill, the First Duke
of Marlborough from Queen Anne. He was the military commander who skillfully
led the Allied forces into battle on 13th August 1704 at Blenheim (Blenheim).
They defeated the French because the English were healthier and stronger – this
was entirely due to the Duke sourcing the best provisions for his army every
day along their route, rather than stealing their provisions, as so many armies
had done before them to their detriment.
This history of selecting the best local produce was the initial inspiration
behind Blenheim Palace Provisions, but when we heard that the Duke returned and
created his unique gardens and orchards, we were inspired by the Palace’s
heritage in fruits.
The Duke wanted the Palace to celebrate his victory over the French and be a monument to Queen Anne. It was the Queen and a grateful nation who granted to the Marlborough's the Manor of Woodstock and the promise of the funds needed to build such a house. By basing the Palace’s design on an Italian Baroque palace, the Duke was cheekily ‘thumbing his nose’ at Britain’s enemies, but the actual building of the Palace was not trouble free. The first problem was that the Duchess did not want such a grand residence. She hoped for a smaller country house designed for comfort first and status second. She had many arguments with the architect Vanbrugh until Vanbrugh resigned. Sarah, the First Duchess, being a strong willed woman unfortunately fell out of favour with the Queen. Court intrigue made the most of this and for a short while the Marlboroughs even left the country. The second problem was therefore that Royal funds for the Palace dried up. Building of the
Palace came to a halt in the summer of 1712. Eventually the Palace was completed at the Duke’s own expense. John Churchill (first Duke of Marlborough) had been at the centre of political and military activity before the great battles of the 1700s. During the first year of the reign of James II it was Churchill who ensured the defeat of the rebel Monmouth at the Battle of Sedgemore. Later he was instrumental in the downfall of James II and the accession of William of Orange during the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Over the years several Dukes have made a considerable difference to Blenheim. The 4th Duke brought Capability Brown and William Chambers to make major changes to Palace Park and Gardens. The 5th Duke who was a horticulturalist of international standing developed extensive gardens. These are now sadly lost except for the Rose Garden recently restored by the present Duke. Noticeably the family, in particular the ladies, have been concerned for the needy. The 4th Duchess built the almshouses in Woodstock. The wife of the 7th Duke in particular worked tirelessly and successfully to help the starving in Ireland when her husband was Viceroy. She showed concern for the agricultural workers on the estate and also built the school in Bladon. The 8th Duke was an innovator. He introduced gas, electricity and central heating to the Palace.
The greatest impact on Blenheim was made by the 9th Duke. He created the formal
gardens to east and west of the Palace, he restored of the Great Court and he
replanted the entrance avenue and the Grand Avenue. In total he had half a million
trees planted in the Park. Inside the house the 9th Duke was responsible for
a complete redecoration of the State Rooms. He also added extensively to the
collection at Blenheim particularly the furniture.
In the twentieth century, during the both World Wars, the dukes allowed
Blenheim to be used in various ways for the war effort. The most famous member
of the family was Sir Winston Churchill, who was born at Blenheim and spent a
considerable amount of time at the Palace and is now buried nearby in Bladon.
Winston was the grandson of the 7th duke, and a close friend of the 9th Duke
and Duchess.
The present Duke has committed his life to the preservation of this great house and it was during his time at Blenheim that the Palace became a World Heritage Site.