Editing Blenheim Palace (section)

=== 9th Duke of Marlborough ===
[[File:Duke Marlborough Singer Sargent.jpg|thumb|upright|Charles, 9th Duke of Marlborough with his family in 1905 by [[John Singer Sargent]]]]
[[File:Formal Garden, Blenheim Palace. - geograph.org.uk - 138113.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The water terraces on the west side of the Palace, created 1925–31 by [[Achille Duchêne]]]]
[[Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough|Charles, 9th Duke of Marlborough]] (1871–1934) can be credited with saving both the palace and the family. Inheriting the near-bankrupt dukedom in 1892, he was forced to find a quick and drastic solution to the problems. Prevented by the strict social dictates of late 19th-century society from earning money, he was left with one solution: he had to marry into money. In November 1895 he coldly and openly without love married the American railroad heiress [[Consuelo Vanderbilt]].{{sfnp|Tintner|2015|p=144|ps=}}{{sfnp|Cooper|2014|pp=128–130|ps=}}

The marriage was celebrated following lengthy negotiations with her divorced parents: her mother, [[Alva Vanderbilt]], was desperate to see her daughter a duchess, and the bride's father, [[William Kissam Vanderbilt|William Vanderbilt]], paid for the privilege. The final price was $2,500,000 (${{Inflation|US|2.5|1895|r=1|fmt=c}} million today) in 50,000 shares of the capital stock of the Beech Creek Railway Company with a minimum 4% dividend guaranteed by the [[New York Central Railroad|New York Central Railroad Company]]. The couple were given a further annual income each of $100,000 for life.{{sfnp|Tintner|2015|p=144|ps=}}{{sfnp|Cooper|2014|pp=128–130|ps=}}

The teenage Consuelo had been locked in her room by her mother until she agreed to the marriage. The marriage settlement was actually signed in the vestry of [[Saint Thomas Church (New York City)|St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York]], immediately after the wedding vows had been made. In the carriage leaving the church, Marlborough told Consuelo he loved another woman, and would never return to America, as he "despised anything that was not British".{{sfnp|Tintner|2015|p=144|ps=}}{{sfnp|Cooper|2014|pp=128–130|ps=}}

The replenishing of Blenheim began on the honeymoon itself, with the replacement of the Marlborough gems. Tapestries, paintings and furniture were bought in Europe to fill the depleted palace. On their return, the Duke began an exhaustive restoration and redecoration of the palace. The staterooms to the west of the saloon were redecorated with gilt [[boiseries]] in imitation of [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]]. Vanbrugh's subtle rivalry to Louis XIV's great palace was now completely undermined, as the interiors became mere [[pastiche]]s of those of the greater palace.<ref name="Henrietta"/>

While this redecoration may not have been without fault (and the Duke later regretted it), other improvements were better received. Another problem caused by the redecoration was that the state and principal bedrooms were now moved upstairs, thus rendering the staterooms an [[enfilade (architecture)|enfilade]] of rather similar and meaningless [[drawing room]]s. On the west terrace, the French landscape architect [[Achille Duchêne]] was employed to create a water garden. On a second terrace below this were placed two great fountains in the style of [[Bernini]], scaled models of those in the [[Piazza Navona]] which had been presented to the 1st Duke.<ref name="Henrietta"/>

[[File:VanderbiltConsuelo.JPG|thumb|right|[[Consuelo Vanderbilt|Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough]]]]

Blenheim was once again a place of wonder and prestige. However, Consuelo was far from happy; she records many of her problems in her cynical and often less than candid biography ''The Glitter and the Gold'' (1956). In 1906 she shocked society and left her husband. They divorced in 1921. She married a Frenchman, [[Jacques Balsan]] in 1921. She died in 1964, having lived to see her son become Duke of Marlborough. She frequently returned to Blenheim, the house she had hated and yet saved, albeit as the unwilling sacrifice.<ref name="Henrietta"/>

After his divorce the Duke married again, to an American former friend of Consuelo, [[Gladys Deacon]], who was of an artistic disposition, and a painting of her eyes remains on the ceiling of the great north portico (''see secondary lead image''). A lower terrace was decorated with [[sphinxes]] modelled on Gladys and executed by W. Ward Willis in 1930. Before her marriage, while staying with the Marlboroughs, she caused a diplomatic incident by encouraging the young [[Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany]] to form an attachment with her.<ref name="Henrietta"/>

The prince had given her an heirloom ring, which the combined diplomatic services of two empires were charged to recover. After her marriage, Gladys was in the habit of dining with the Duke with a revolver by the side of her plate. Tiring of her, the Duke was temporarily forced to close Blenheim, and turn off the utilities to drive her out. They subsequently separated but did not divorce. The Duke died in 1934. His widow died in 1977.<ref name="Henrietta"/>