The Duke of Marlborough has been handed a £500 fine after driving his Hyundai at 30mph over the speed limit on an Oxfordshire road.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill - a relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales - was also banned from driving for 28 days after admitting to travelling at 80mph in a 50mph zone on Woodstock Road, Yarnton, on October 18 2024.

The duke was absent from the hearing at High Wycombe Magistrates' Court on Friday afternoon, and was sentenced without being present after his solicitor entered a guilty plea to the speeding offence on his behalf.

District Judge Kamlesh Rana informed the court that Spencer-Churchill had a "clean driving record".

She further imposed a £200 surcharge fee and £300 in prosecution costs as part of the duke's sentence.

Spencer-Churchill faced a separate charge of failing to provide police with information relating to the identification of the driver of a Hyundai in Banbury, Oxfordshire, between November 15 and December 13 2024 - however, the prosecution offered no evidence on Friday following Spencer-Churchill's guilty plea to the speeding charge.

Spencer-Churchill's ancestral seat is the 300-year-old Blenheim Palace - Sir Winston's birthplace - located in Woodstock.

The duke neither owns the 18th century baroque palace nor plays any part in the management of the residence and its sprawling estate.