The Green Drawing Room

4th Duke of Marlborough (1)

This portrait of the 4th Duke of Marlborough. He is wearing his robes of the Order of the Garter.

The 4th Duke made many changes when he was living at Blenheim Palace particularly to the landscape. He asked a famous landscape designer called ‘Capability’ Brown to help him and together they created the Park much as you see it today.

1st Duke of Marlborough with his family (2)

This portrait of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, was painted when he was a young man. In all the portraits of the 1st Duke you will see he is holding his Baton (stick) of Office, even in the tapestries.

Can you tell what sort of personality he had? At this young age, does he look like the sort of man who could lead armies of men to victory?

The boy on the far right of the picture was their eldest son (they had already lost their first son who died as a baby). He was called the Marquis of Blandford, but sadly he also died when he was young.