Duke of Marlborough (title)

Dukedom of Marlborough
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Sable a Lion rampant Argent, on a Canton of the second a Cross Gules (Churchill); 2nd and 3rd, Quarterly Argent and Gules a Fret Or on a Bend Sable three Escallops of the first (Spencer) over all in the centre chief point, an Escutcheon Argent charged with the Cross of St George surmounted by another Escutcheon Azure charged with three Fleur-de-lis two and one Or
Creation date	1702
Created by	Anne
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough
Present holder	James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough
Heir apparent	George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
Remainder to	Special case (Semi-Salic)
Subsidiary titles	Marquess of Blandford Earl of Sunderland (from 1733) Earl of Marlborough Baron Spencer (from 1733) Baron Churchill of Sandridge
Seat(s)	Blenheim Palace
Motto	Fiel pero desdichado (Spanish for 'Faithful but unfortunate')[1]

Duke of Marlborough (pronounced /ˈmɔːrlbrə/) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Queen Anne in 1702 for John Churchill, 1st Earl of Marlborough (1650–1722), the noted military leader. In historical texts, unqualified use of the title typically refers to the 1st Duke. The name of the dukedom refers to Marlborough in Wiltshire.

The earldom of Marlborough was held by the family of Ley from its creation in 1626 until its extinction with the death of the 4th earl in 1679. The title was recreated 10 years later for John Churchill (in 1689).