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Blenheim Palace The Battle of Blenheim was a famous battle of the War of the Spanish Succession, fought in 1704, near the village of Blenheim, Bavaria. There, the Anglo-Austrian forces, led by the British military leader John Churchill, defeated the French and the Bavarians. As reward for his victory, Queen Anne promised John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, a house to be called Blenheim. Work on building the house began quickly, but while the Duke continued to give his Queen and country victory after victory overseas, his absence gave others the chance to hatch a plot designed to topple him from the Queen's favour. As a result, the money which had been promised to him for building Blenheim Palace didn’t arrive, leaving the Duke owing £45,000 to the architect, masons and carvers. In the summer of 1712 all work on Blenheim Palace stopped. Things looked bleak, but following the death of Queen Anne in 1714, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough managed to negotiate an agreement with the unpaid artisans and suppliers and they were able to complete the Palace at their own expense. And the result is the magnificent palace surrounded by landscaped gardens and parkland. It's the birth place of Winston Churchill too, and designated a World Heritage Site. Access to the parkland's lake and bridge is free. |
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