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Henrietta Spencer-Churchill: My life at Blenheim Palace, from waterskiing on the lake to dealing with a £10 million bill for a new roof

Toby Keel Toby Keel

Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill joins the Country Life Podcast.

Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, the only daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, has by any measure led an extraordinary life. As a girl she moved from the family home in Oxfordshire to Blenheim Palace, the family seat and — by any measure — one of the finest buildings not just in Britain, but the world (it has UNESCO World Heritage Site status to prove it).

Ever since then, first as a resident, then as a world-renowned interior designer who has played a leading role in the conservation of this 18th century masterpiece, her life has revolved back and forth around Blenheim, and we were thrilled that she agreed to talk to James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast this week.

A picture from ‘Blenheim: 300 years of Life in a Palace’ (Rizzoli, £57.50). Credit: Hugo Rittson-Thomas / Rizzoli

Living at Blenheim, as she explains, brings great privilege: she tells how her father bought a speedboat, and taught Henrietta and her brother to waterski on the lake. Yet living in a house of global stature, and which opens its doors to visitors every day of the year, also brings unique pressures: everything from where to park and struggling to find a spot of lawn on a sunny day, to wondering how on earth they’ll raise £10 million to replace a leaking roof that is three centuries old.

Lady Henrietta also discusses Woodstock Designs, her hugely successful interior design company, and talk about her latest book, Blenheim: 300 years of Life in a Palace (Rizzoli, £57.50), a truly sumptuous publication which tells the tales of those who have lived in the palace over the centuries, illustrated with beautiful images taken by Hugo Rittson-Thomas.

Lady Henrietta with her book, Blenheim: 300 years of Life in a Palace (Rizzoli, £57.50)

Episode credits

  • Host: James Fisher
  • Guest: Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill
  • Producer and editor: Toby Keel
  • Music: JuliusH via Pixabay

From ‘Blenheim: 300 years of Life in a Palace’ (Rizzoli, £57.50). Credit: Hugo Rittson-Thomas / Rizzoli