Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace was designated a World Heritage site in 1987.  The palace is also one of the Treasure Houses of England.  The Treasure Houses are a collection of the finest heritage properties in the country.  Blenheim Palace is located half way between the Cotswolds and Oxford.  It's the largest home in England.

The front view of the palace and the Duke's car.

The view of the side of the palace.

The view from the from of the palace.

John Churchill, the first duke of Marlborough, defeated Louis XIV's French forces at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704.  Queen Anne rewarded Churchill by building him this nice home.  Currently, the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his family live at the palace.  In 1874, a later John Churchill's daughter-in-law gave birth to a son at the palace and named him Winston...the rest is history.

The current Duke of Marlborough and his family.

Consuelo Vanderbilt - a "money duchess"

A "Money Duchess" was common ... basically, the marriage of a Duke to a woman with money ... instantly creating a royal name for the woman and providing money for the Duke and his estate.  In this case, Consuelo Vanderbilt of the New York Vanderbilt's was forced to marry the Duke at the time ... produced two sons ... wasn't happy about the marriage ... and divorced approximately ten years later ... but not before the Duke used Consuelo and her family's money to improve and keep the estate going.

Below are some scenes of the 2,000 acre grounds.

Mom duck following her 3 ducklings.

A portion of the large lake on the estate