Inside Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its historical significance.
Blenheim (pronounced “Ble-num”) is derived from Blindheim, a village in Bavaria, Germany, where The Battle of Blenheim took place in 1704.
Queen Anne bestowed 2,000 acres in Oxfordshire to General John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, for the military victory at Blenheim. A national monument and a family home, the house alone has 187 rooms and encompasses 7 acres.
Blenheim Palace cost Parliament £240,000 with the Churchills contributing £60,000.
Made in 1710, the Clock Tower pre-dates London’s Big Ben by nearly 150 years.
In the Clock Tower, the clock hands on each face are gilded in 24-carat goldleaf. The Clock Tower’s three bells chime every quarter hour.
The Clock Tower was made by Langley Bradley in 1710. Langley Bradley was Master of the Clockmakers Company and made the original clock (circa 1706) for St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Main Portico with ceiling paintings of eyes to represent the 9th Duke and his second wife, Gladys Deacon.
In The Great Hall ceiling painting, Cleo, the Muse of History, records The Battle of Blenheim in her book.
In the painting on the ceiling, The Duke of Marlborough presents his plan for The Battle of Blenheim to the female figure of Britannia who rewards him with a victor’s laurel crown.
The Goddess Fame trumpets the Duke’s achievements, and Cleo, the Muse of History, records the year of the battle in her book.
The Battle of Blenheim was fought on a single day in 1704. France, under King Louis XIV, had set its sights on the Spanish Empire, but Spain was part of The Grand Alliance with England.
When France and its ally, Bavaria, moved to capture Vienna, The Duke of Marlborough, led the Allies on a 250-mile march, over 5 weeks, from The Netherlands to the Danube. At the end of the battle, the Allies had lost 4,500 men; the French and the Bavarians had lost 20,000 men.
Known as the Black Armour Portrait, the 1st Duke of Marlborough as a young colonel in Her Majesty’s Army.
In the Green Writing Room is a framed note written by the 54-year-old General John Churchill after The Battle of Blenheim.
Using a scrap of paper (a receipt of goods received for the troops), he wrote to his wife, Sarah, giving an account of the battle, so that she would relay the news to Queen Anne. (Sarah was a maid of honor to Queen Anne.)
The note reads in part: “I have not time to say more, but beg you will give my duty to The Queen, and let her know her army has had a glorious victory.”
Tapestries in the First State Room depict military victories of the 1st Duke of Marlborough.
Reflecting light in Baroque style with a large pier glass in the First State Room.
Blenheim Palace and Sir Winston Churchill
Portrait of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the American heiress who married the 9th Duke in 1895.
The Newport mansion built for Alva Vanderbilt, Marble House, is a “Stone Palace” that comes to life at Christmas.
If this “rent” is not paid, the title of Blenheim Palace would revert back to The Crown because it was built on land gifted by Queen Anne.
At left, a 1905 family portrait painted by John Singer Sargent.
The 5' 9" Consuelo Vanderbilt was taller than her husband, the 9th Duke of Marlborough. In the portrait, the height difference is disguised by painting Consuelo standing on a stair with her two sons.
The bankrupt Duke had married Consuelo Vanderbilt to save Blenheim Palace. The couple divorced in 1921, and Consuelo married French aviator and industrialist, Jacques Balsan.
Blenheim Palace Chapel
When the 1st Duke died, his wife, Sarah commissioned a marble memorial in the family chapel.
The 1st Duke of Marlborough lived in Blenheim Palace for only 3 years. He died at the age of 72, before the chapel was finished. Upon his death, Sarah commissioned William Kent to design a memorial in the family chapel. Sarah survived her husband by 22 years; she died at the age of 84.
History with her quill. At the top, the 1st Duke of Marlborough depicted as a Roman general.
On the right side of the sarcophagus is the winged Fame with her trumpet.
Blenheim Palace Gardens
In the Rose Garden, the beds of roses are arranged in a petal shape.
The beds of roses in The Rose Garden are arranged in a petal shape.
The path through The Rose Garden at Blenheim Palace.
A statue of Venus on the Upper Water Terraces at Blenheim Palace.
The formal gardens include the Upper Water Terraces. A statue of Venus – the Goddess of Love and the Guardian of Gardens – stands at each corner of the pool. On the outdoor terrace overlooking the pool, visitors can enjoy a light lunch.
Still privately owned by the descendants of the 1st Duke of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace receives tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Events at Blenheim Palace include art exhibits, battle prom with fireworks, concerts, and Christmas lights. Turn your ticket into an Annual Pass to attend the flower show, food festival, or jousting tournament.
Go to the Blenheim Palace website to learn more about visiting and exploring the palace.