Olivia Henson and Hugh Grosvenor are married, in what has been dubbed as the ‘society wedding of the decade’.
Henson, 31, married Grosvenor, 33, in a ceremony on Friday 7 June, making them the new Duke and Duchess of Westminster.
Being the seventh Duke of Westminster, along with an estimated fortune of £10.1 billion thanks in part to owning 50 percent of Mayfair (!), made Grosvenor one of the most eligible men in Britain up until 2021 when he met Henson.
Prince William is set to be the only senior member of the Royal Family in attendance at the wedding held at the Chester Cathedral, where he is expected to perform the role of usher. The Kate Middleton is not expected to attend as she continues cancer treatment.
King Charles, who is Grosvenor’s godfather, Queen Camilla, and Prince Harry, whose son Archie is Grosvenor’s godchild, are also not expected to attend.
Who is Olivia Henson?
Little is known about Olivia Henson as she has a minimal social media presence. However, her schooling may sound somewhat familiar. After attending primary school in Oxford, she attended Marlborough College – which counts Kate and Pippa Middleton among its alumni.
She ventured to Dublin, Ireland to Trinity College for university, where she received a 2:1 in Hispanic Studies and Italian.
Henson has now worked at Belazu, a B Corp company for over five years and is currently a key account manager based in London. However, it has been reported that the pair plan to move to Chester following the wedding.
Belazu imports high-quality ingredients such as rose harissa, extra virgin olive oil, and preserved lemons from across Europe. It is unclear whether Henson will remain in the role following the wedding after the pair spent a day in May making charity appearances together.
How did Olivia Henson and Hugh Grosvenor meet?
All that is known about their meeting is that it was through mutual friends and that it happened in 2021.
The pair were together for two years before Grosvenor proposed at his family’s 11,000 acre estate, Eaton Hall, in April 2023.
At the time, the pair released one photo to announce their engagement, in which they are both smiling at the camera and dressed casually in blue shirts.
At their day of charity engagements in Chester in May this year, they confirmed a future move north, stating: “We’ll be building our lives together and we’re slowly transitioning to move up from London and be much more permanent here and really putting roots down.”
Henson said at the time that moving to Chester was an “easy decision” for the couple.
What do we know about the Duke and Duchess of Westminster’s wedding?
The wedding of the new Duke and Duchess of Westminster is to be held at Chester Cathedral on Friday 7 June in the afternoon. Prince William is expected to be the only member of the Royal Family to attend.
A spokesperson for the couple recently told the Telegraph: “The Duke and Miss Henson have taken a great deal of care in planning the wedding, putting their own personal stamp on all the arrangements and have made a conscious effort to involve local and regional suppliers in several aspects of the day.”
The cathedral has family ties too, as Grosvenor’s sister, Lady Tamara Grosvenor married Edward Van Custem at the site in 2004.
Chester Cathedral was also where a memorial service was held for the late Duke of Westminster – Grosvenor’s father Gerald – who died in 2016.
“We’ve obviously got a long association with the cathedral as a family,” the Duke said. “We were here for my father’s memorial, my sister’s wedding and every Remembrance Sunday that I can attend is here.”
Who is Hugh Grosvenor and how did he become the Duke of Westminster?
Hugh Grosvenor was just 25 when his father passed away in 2016 – Gerald Grosvenor died from a heart attack at the age of 64. Despite having older sisters, the ancient custom of primogeniture meant that the title, and the fortune that came with it, went to the sole male heir.
This makes Grosvenor the richest man in the UK under the age of 40. The Grosvenor Group has land holdings including 1,500 properties across 60 countries. They own 50 percent of Mayfair, and 300 acres in Belgravia.
Despite being the sole male heir, Tatler confirmed that Grosvenor receives the same share from the estate as his month, Natalia, and three sisters.
Grosvenor attended Newcastle University, achieving a 2:1 in agriculture, which made him the first Duke of Westminster to receive a degree.
The Grosvenor’s have long been connected to the Royal Family and, along with being a godfather to Prince Archie, Grosvenor is also godfather to Prince George.
