Blenheim Palace Woodstock Oxfordshire England
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house in Blenheim, Oxfordshire, England. It is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England’s largest houses, was built between 1705 and 1722, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
The palace is named in memory of the 1704 Battle of Blenheim, and thus ultimately after Blindheim (also known as Blenheim) in Bavaria. It was originally intended to be a reward to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough for his military triumphs against the French and Bavarians in the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the Battle of Blenheim, but soon after construction began it became the subject of political infighting; this led to Marlborough’s exile, the fall from power of his duchess, and lasting damage to the reputation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh.
Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720s. It is unique in its combined use as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.
Following the palace’s completion, it became the home of the Churchill, later Spencer-Churchill, family for the next 300 years, and various members of the family have wrought changes to the interiors, park and gardens. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was saved from ruin by funds gained from the 9th Duke of Marlborough’s marriage to American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt.
The palace remains the home of the Dukes of Marlborough, the present incumbent of the title being Charles James (Jamie) Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough. Charles James succeeded the Dukedom upon his father’s death on 16 October 2014.
Blenheim on film and TV.
Film & TV productions that have shot scenes at Blenheim Palace, include the following:
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Fan (2016)
Spectre (2015)
Rogue Nation (2015)
The Royals (2015)
Cinderella (2015)
The Amazing Race 25 (2014)
A Little Chaos (2013)
Gulliver’s Travels (2010)
Lewis (2009) – Episode 3.03: The Point of Vanishing
The Young Victoria (2009)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) (Snape’s flashback by the Black Lake as a Hogwarts student with The Marauders)
The Libertine (2005)
The Lost Prince (2003)
The Four Feathers (2002)
Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001)
Entrapment (1999)
The Avengers (1998)
Hamlet (1996) – The incumbent Duke has a role as a Norwegian captain. Only the exteriors of the palace were used.
Inspector Morse: The Way Through the Woods (1995)
Orlando (1992)
Tonight Live with Steve Vizard (Australian TV Tonight Show) (1992)
King Ralph (1991)[2]
Without a Clue (1988)
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
History of the World, Part I (1981)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Young Winston (1972)
Half A Sixpence (1967)
Intro Music:-
Cinematic (Sting) by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/
