ROYAL ARTS VISIONS: THE DAZZLING WEDDING OF THE DUKE OF WESTMINSTER, GODSON OF KING CHARLES III

THE DAZZLING WEDDING OF THE DUKE OF WESTMINSTER, GODSON OF KING CHARLES III

The very discreet Duke of Westminster was married on 7 June 2024 at Chester Cathedral in Cheshire. Hugh Grosvenor, one of the richest men in the United Kingdom, was united before God to Olivia Henson, in the presence of Prince William, the future British monarch. The eldest son of the Prince of Wales is godson of the Duke of Westminster, while the groom himself is godson of King Charles III. The Duke of Westminster is also a distant cousin of the Royal Family, descended from Tsar Nicholas I and King Frederick William II of Prussia.

The wealthy Duke of Westminster marries Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral

Despite his wealth and his proximity to the British royal family, Hugh Grosvenor is a man whose mystery is hard to fathom. The billionaire cultivates discretion, and his wedding is just as discreet. On Friday, onlookers were kept behind barriers set up around Chester Cathedral in Cheshire. To spread the joy in Chester on this festive day, the bride and groom are supporting three local ice cream producers, who distributed free ice creams to visitors waiting patiently for the bride and groom to arrive and leave the cathedral.

The Duke of Westminster is greeted at the entrance to the cathedral a few minutes before the arrival of the bride (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/ABACAPRESS.COM)

Olivia Henson arrives at Chester Cathedral (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/ABACAPRESS.COM)

The 7th Duke of Westminster, a descendant of European sovereigns and close associate of the British royal family, married Olivia Henson, in the presence of the Prince of Wales and the British nobility. The wedding was officiated by the Reverend Tim Stratford, Dean of Chester Cathedral. In April 2023, the Duke of Westminster announced his engagement to Olivia Henson, a young woman in her thirties who works for Belazu, a company dedicated to the sustainable export of high-quality food.

Natalia, Dowager Duchess of Westminster, arrives at her son's wedding with a handbag in the shape of a romantic book (Photo: Zak Hussein/Splash News/ABACAPRESS.COM)

The Duke of Westminster's close relationship with the Royal Family

Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster since the death of his father in 2016, has long been one of the country's most coveted aristocrats. The 33-year-old Duke of Westminster owns Eaton Hall in Cheshire and Grosvenor House in Park Lane when he is resident in London. The family also owns 80 hectares of land in the exclusive Belgravia district of London, hence their subsidiary title of Viscount Belgravia. The family also owns 40 hectares in Mayfair, another upmarket area of the capital. The British press regularly refers to the Duke of Westminster as "the owner of half of London".

Princess Eugenie of York (right) arrives at Chester Cathedral with a friend (Photo: Zak Hussein/Splash News/ABACAPRESS.COM)

In addition to the groom's wealth and his titles of nobility, it is also Hugh Grosvenor's proximity to the British royal family that interests the public. Hugh Grosvenor is the godson of King Charles III. One of his sisters, Lady Edwina, had Diana as her godmother. His mother, Natalia Phillips, is godmother to Prince William, who in turn asked Hugh Grosvenor to become godfather to his eldest son, Prince George. It was also recently reported that the Duke of Westminster would be one of the godparents of Prince Harry's son, Prince Archie.

Prince William at the Duke of Westminster's wedding without the Princess of Wales, who is continuing her treatment (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/ABACAPRESS.COM)

Prince William attends the wedding of King Charles III's godson

The first Grosvenor to be knighted was Richard Grosvenor, a British MP, who became a baronet in 1622. The 7th Baronet Grosvenor became a Baron in 1721, and then the 1st Earl Grosvenor. In 1831, the same Earl Grosvenor became Marquess of Westminster. The 3rd Marquess became Duke in 1847. Duke is the highest title of nobility and the Duke of Westminster was the last noble to be elevated to this rank by Queen Victoria. It is therefore the country's most recent ducal title.

Olivia Henson reçoit son bouquet de fleurs cueillies dans les jardins d’Easton Hall avant son entrée dans la cathédrale (Photo : Zak Hussein/Splash News/ABACAPRESS.COM)

The Prince of Wales had a role to play on Friday, willingly accepting the role of usher assigned to him by the groom. It was an honour for the Duke of Westminster to have the future King of the United Kingdom at his wedding, and he agreed to play usher. An usher is someone who stands by the cathedral doors, mainly to welcome guests and direct them to their seats. The Prince of Wales gave a memorable welcome to the relatives of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster. Princess Eugenie, Prince Andrew's second daughter, also attended the wedding.

Long live the bride and groom! The Duke and Duchess of Westminster leave the cathedral to the cheers of the crowd (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/ABACAPRESS.COM)

The groom is not only a descendant of the 1st Duke of Westminster. Surprisingly, it is his mother, Natalia Phillips, who makes his pedigree so impressive. Natalia Phillips, 65, is the daughter of Georgina Wernher, one of the most prominent socialites of her day. Georgina Wernher was the daughter of Sir Harold Wernher and Countess Anastasia de Torby, herself the daughter of Grand Duke Michael Michailovich of Russia, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I. Through this branch, the Duke of Westminster's ancestors include kings of Sweden, Prussia and other continental sovereigns. King Charles III is himself a descendant of Nicholas I of Russia through his father. Other famous ancestors of the groom include the author Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin's well-known ancestry, belonging to the Russian nobility, is itself astonishing, since his ancestor was the famous Abraham Hannibal, of African origin.

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are swimming in happiness (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/ABACAPRESS.COM)

The dress and tiara of the new Duchess Olivia

The new Duchess of Westminster was also scrutinised by the public outside the cathedral and mobbed by photographers. Olivia Henson was a complete unknown a year ago, when the Duke of Westminster made his engagement public. To mark her entry into the world of aristocracy, Duchess Olivia chose to wear one of the sumptuous tiaras of the Grosvenor family. She wore a wedding dress and veil designed by Emma Victoria Payne, which incorporated floral motifs and borders from Olivia's great-great-grandmother's 1880s veil. Olivia carried a country bouquet with flowers picked from the gardens of Easton Hall.

Les mariés s’embrassent devant la foule à la sortie (Photo : Stephen Lock/i-Images/ABACAPRESS.COM)

 Olivia Henson wore the Crown of Myrtle tiara, the same piece of jewellery worn by Lady Tamara, the Duke of Westminster's elder sister, at her 2004 wedding to Edward van Cutsem. It is a Fabergé tiara, created in 1906 for the wedding of one of the sons of the first Duke of Westminster to Lady Mabel Crichton.

Hugh Grosvenor has two older sisters and one younger sister: Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola. His three sisters are married and the first two have three children each. Hugh Grosvenor is the last male heir of the family, including collateral or cousin branches. He is therefore potentially the last Duke of Westminster. If the 7th Duke of Westminster fails to have a son, the title will die with him.

NICOLAS FONTAINE