With its 2,000 acres, 187 rooms, and Masterpiece Theatre lifestyle, Blenheim Palace eclipses even the British monarchys homes in the eyes of many. And for the three centuries since Queen Anne bestowed the land on the first Duke of Marlborough, his heirs have battled to keep it going. In a rare interview with the 85-year-old 11th duke, known as Sunny, and his fourth wife, the exotic and wealthy Lily, James Reginato explores the sacrifices made in Blenheims namefrom loveless marriages to a bitter legal battlewhile Jonathan Becker shoots exclusive photos of the palace and its private quarters.

BRITISH FAIRWAYS A valet draws the curtains in a guest bedroom at Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire.Right,a view of the Baroque palaces limestone faade, looking out over a portion of the vast grounds.

For 300 years, Blenheim Palace, seat of the Dukes of Marlborough, has awed all visitors, even the grandest among them. We have nothing to equal this, King George III said with a gasp to Queen Charlotte in 1786 as they caught their first glimpse of the Baroque behemoth, in Oxfordshire.

Indeed, Buckingham House, as the monarchs dwelling was then called, was primitive by comparison. With seven acres under its roof, Blenheim arguably still eclipses in splendor and magnitude any of the British royal familys homes, and it is the only nonroyal, non-ecclesiastical residence in England styled a palace. Its grandeur registered even with Hitler, who according to wartime lore planned to move in after his invasion of England and thus ordered the Luftwaffe not to bomb it.

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