English aristocrat and stateswoman Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, was BOTD in 1660. Born Sarah Jennings in St Albans, Hertfordshire, to a wealthy aristocratic family, she entered the court of King James II in 1673 as a maid of honour. At court, she befriended the young Princess Anne, forming an intimate erotically-charged relationship, addressing each other as “Mrs Morley” and “Mrs Freeman”. In 1677, Sarah married John Churchill, an aristocrat and soldier ten years her senior, with whom she had seven children. Following James’ removal from the throne in 1688, Sarah helped promote Anne’s position in the court of King William III and Queen Mary, brokering Anne’s marriage settlement with Prince George of Denmark to ensure her position as heir to the throne. Anne became Queen in 1702, making Churchill a duke and the commander of her military forces. Sarah became Anne’s chief adviser, promoting Whig party leader the Earl of Godolphin as prime minister and effectively ruling the country during Anne’s many illnesses. Anne lavished gifts on the Churchills, including a 1,000 acre property in Oxfordshire, where they built Blenheim Palace, one of England’s most lavish properties. Famously strong-willed and argumentative, Sarah was finally supplanted by her cousin Abigail Masham, who replaced her as Anne’s favourite in 1711. Banished from court, the Churchills lived in Europe for many years, but worked their way back into favour with Anne’s successor George I. Widowed in 1722, Sarah spent her remaining years marrying off her children among the aristocracy and managing various business investments, making her one of the wealthiest women in Europe. She died in 1744, aged 84. Sarah’s most famous descendant, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, described her as “the greatest woman of her time” and confirmed family rumours about her sexual relationship with Queen Anne. Sarah’s relationship with Anne and rivalry with Abigail was portrayed in the 2018 film The Favourite, starring Rachel Weisz as Sarah.