This Royal's "Society Wedding of the Year" Is Basically 'Bridgerton' IRL
Everything you need to know about Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster.
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The royals have been in the headlines more than ever, due to the unfortunate combination of both Kate Middleton and King Charles being diagnosed with cancer and Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, maintaining their icy relationship. However, a new royal has entered the chat: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster. He's set to tie the knot tomorrow in an unofficial royal wedding, but thanks to his close proximity to the royal family, it may as well be—especially since many outlets are referring to the upcoming nuptials as the "society wedding of the year."
Who Is Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster?
Grosvenor is a 33-year-old British aristocrat. His parents are the late Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster; and Natalia Grosvenor, the Duchess of Westminster. According to Vogue, Hugh is the head of Grosvenor Group and inherited the company after his father passed away in 2016.
The Grosvenor family (which can be traced back 1,000 years to an ancestor that arrived in England alongside William the Conqueror) first made its fortune by owning land north of London. The family's land holdings included the area now known as Mayfair and Belgravia. Eventually, they managed to buy more land all around the world. The Cut reports that the family has "1,500 properties in 60 countries."
By the way, Hugh is the richest person under 40 in the United Kingdom thanks to his nearly $13 billion net worth. No big deal.
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Who Is Hugh Grosvenors's Fiancée?
The duke's fiancée is Olivia Henson, an accountant at Belazu, a food company. She has connections to the royal family, however, having attended Marlborough College, the same school as Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie. She would go on to earn a dual degree at Trinity College in Hispanic Studies and Italian. She is 31 and will be the Duchess of Westminster after the wedding. Sources shared that Grosvenor and Henson will relocate to Cheshire after their wedding.
How Long Did Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson Date?
The couple met through mutual friends back in 2021 and dated for two years before announcing their engagement last year.
When Is Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson's Wedding?
The wedding of Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson is scheduled for June 7. The two are set to marry at Chester Cathedral in northwestern England. The venue goes back to the 10th century and was actually refurbished by Lady Godiva, according to Elle Decor.
However, with all the attention, the couple is slightly embarrassed about how they're inconveniencing the locals. Grosvenor recently told reporters, “I’m unbelievably excited. I also just wanted to make it very clear how unbelievably helpful people have been, how supportive they’ve been so far, which I’m unbelievably grateful for. Because I do realize that it’s going to be a big thing for the city. It’s going to be certainly a huge thing for us, so we’re just really grateful for all the help.”
To make up for the closed roads and the paparazzi, the couple is planting 100,000 flowers across the city of Cheshire. Additionally, they're providing free ice cream to well-wishers on their wedding day via three local businesses.
Who Is Invited to the Wedding?
While no official guest list was shared with the public, it was confirmed that Prince Harry was invited and respectfully declined. Prince William will be an usher at the ceremony, but Princess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) won't be in attendance as she continues her cancer treatment. Even without those members of the Firm, the Times reports that the guest list will be 400 strong.
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How Close Are Hugh Grosvenor, Prince William, and Prince Harry?
Grosvenor isn't just godfather to Prince William's son, Prince George, he's also godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Prince Archie. Hugh attended Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle back in 2018.
Related: Prince Harry Is Reportedly Frustrated That the Royal Family Won't "Acknowledge His Efforts"
Why Is There Drama Over This Wedding?
With Prince Harry and his brother William's not-so-private feud making headlines just about every day, there was speculation that there'd be a reunion at the wedding. However, after it was revealed that Harry wouldn't be making it across the pond for the ceremony, the drama seemed to fizzle out. According to The Times, part of why Harry didn't want to go was to afford the couple a chance to enjoy their big day and not draw attention away from it with his presence, which would have stolen the spotlight—especially if he and William had any sort of interaction.
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