Great Britain's future Duke of Marlborough celebrated his 30th birthday in an aristocratic-style during his holiday in Greece, staying in a luxury villa in Corfu - a favourite holiday destination of the British elite - taking boat trips and throwing a very glamorous party with a white dress code.
Yesterday he shared with his 9,700 Instagram followers photos from his birthday trip to Corfu, along with his wife Camilla Thorpe, now Marchioness of Blandford and many friends, including Lady Jemima Herbert, also a multi-generational aristocrat, daughter of the 17th Earl of Pembroke.
The young aristocrat, whose full name and title is George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, father to a one-year-old daughter (named Olympia Arabella Kitty Spencer-Churchill), captioned his snaps: "What a week!"
Jemima also posted snaps from the birthday party on her social media page, which showed guests dressed in all-white ensembles and wrote: "A not so dirty 30 for @georgeblandford #allwhite #corfu #whitenight #thankyou"
In the photos posted by the aristocrats, friends of George can be seen relaxing by the pool of the villa, enjoying boat trips and many luxurious meals together.
Of aristocratic descent and money
George, Marquess of Blandford, will one day inherit Blenheim Palace (now used as a residence and museum and considered a National Monument), located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and of course the parkland that surrounds it, covering just over 8,000 acres.
As well as the palace and forest he will inherit a fortune of around £100 million from his father, James Spencer-Churchill, 12th Duke of Marlborough.
George, who became Marquess of Blandford in 2014 following the death of his grandfather, was named in 2019 by Tatler as one of the '10 fittest people in the country'.
His links with the biggest names in British society are extensive and span generations. His father is the eldest surviving son of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife.
As a member of the Spencer family, he is a distant relative of World War II Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill as his great-great-grandfather, the 9th Duke of Marlborough, was his first cousin.
He is also related to the late "people's princess" Diana, whose maiden name was Lady Diana Spencer. Finally, he is also a descendant of the prominent American Vanderbilt family, through his great-grandmother Consuelo Vanderbilt.
The future Duke is a graduate of the famous Harrow School, founded in 1572 and hundreds of diplomats and politicians have passed through its ranks, including Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. He is professionally involved in aircraft brokerage.
The meeting and the glamorous marriage
He met his wife, an interior designer, more than 10 years ago while on holiday in the Isle of Wight, an island in the English Channel. Recalling how their relationship began, Camilla told Tatler: "One day he just started holding my hand. Our parents have been friends for years, which made life much easier."
"We didn’t have to do the whole 'meet the parents' thing."
The marriage proposal took place at the Soho House Hotel, Beyoglu, Istanbul and the couple got married in September 2018 at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. A party followed on the South Lawn of Blenheim Palace.
The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana wedding dress, which was the first bespoke wedding dress by the designer ever worn in Britain, and an heirloom tiara that has belonged to the Marlborough family since 1895.
The diamond and pearl encrusted Boucheron tiara, which was braided into the bride's hair, was originally a wedding gift to Consuelo Vanderbilt, one of the "Dollar Princesses" - it was the dollars that restored Blenheim Palace - from her father at the time of her marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough.
George is also a polo player and lives with his family in leafy south-west London, but one day he will be able to live in the stunning 187-room Blenheim Palace.
READ MORE: Claudia Schiffer shows us the perfect look on the last days of her Greek vacation.
