The Aristocrats: Blenheim Palace - TV review
The old adage you can choose your friends but not your family has never been more applicable than for the father and son relationship displayed in last night's enjoyable documentary.
Centred around historic Blenheim Palace, the show focused on the oft-feuding Marlborough family, in particular the chequered history shared by the 11th Duke and son James, the Marquess of Blandford.
The duke, John Spencer-Churchill, is a celebrated ex-military guards officer – upright and everything you would expect of such standing. James who failed the entry requirements for Sandhurst, is a reformed drug addict, famously splashed across the tabloids in the early 90s for his misdemeanours.
Several prison sentences for Blandford later, and following a prolonged battle over disinheritance, a solution was arrived at.
Rather than James inheriting the palace, a board of trustees was created allowing him to become duke when his time comes – but gives him no direct power over its vast fortune, estimated around £185m.
It may be worth millions of pounds but Blenheim is equally vast in scale. Larger than Buckingham Palace – and making Downton Abbey look more like a two-up, two-down terrace – it is known for being the birthplace of former prime minister Winston Churchill, and more recently as a tourist attraction – a necessity to maintain its splendour.
His latest addition to the palace is a large visitor centre, opened this summer by David Cameron, further cementing Blenheim's history with prime ministers.
The 11th Duke of Marlborough's 40 year tenure has had its fair share of ups and downs, mostly attributed to the wayward antics of son James.
Jubilee
As the proud 86-year-old goes about his business, co-ordinating the construction of affordable housing in the area and hosting the Queen's jubilee event in nearby Woodstock, bumbling James – who looks more like an ageing rock star with his straggly grey hair and insect-like sunglasses – is more content imagining the creation of a vulgar giant fountain as a future centrepiece and forgotten dreams of being a politician.
Yet there is something likable about James, or Jamie as he is known. He appears to have genuine affection for staff on the estate and now back in favour with his father, is making a concerted effort to get involved.
On the surface, he seems to have the full support of all concerned – his father, the trustees and staff. But make no mistake, Jamie's past has been instrumental in changing the future role of any duke at Blenheim, as and when he is given the title. Something he is more than a little disgruntled about. Affectively, any decision he makes will have to be sanctioned by the board of trustees, headed up by younger brother Edward.
"There's only one chairman in an organisation," he says sternly to the documentary makers. Clearly still an open wound – one that may heal in the years ahead.
With Jamie back on terms and set to take the reins sometime soon he knows only too well that all eyes will be on him when he inherits. He is equally aware that if he is not a success in the role his own son, George, would be made duke.
Will James remember the lessons learnt from his past or is the future to be as tumultuous? Only time, and inheritance, will tell.
Paul Naylor
