Over the past few months, one name has come to dominate the British society pages: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster. The Duke—who has an estimated net worth of 12 billion pounds, making him the richest person under 40 in the United Kingdom—plans to wed Olivia Henson on June 7 in Chester, England. Since then, there’s been an insatiable demand for information about what people are calling the wedding of the year… especially when it began to involve Princes William and Harry.
Before the nuptials—and the inevitable Daily Mail stories—began, here’s an explainer on Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster’s, wedding.
The 33-year-old British aristocrat is the head of Grosvenor Group, a property empire whose holdings include 1,500 properties in 60 countries. (A few examples: half of Mayfair and 300 acres of Belgravia in London, as well as over a dozen buildings in San Francisco.) He inherited the company from his father, Gerald, who passed away in 2016.
His family made their fortune by developing their vast land holdings north of the City of London in the early 18th and 19th centuries. They started with Mayfair and then moved on to Belgravia—both of which became two of the wealthiest neighborhoods in London. They also developed, and later sold, the area of Pimlico. As the centuries went on, they amassed more real estate around the world.
The Duke’s fiancé is Olivia Henson, whom he met through mutual friends. Henson attended Marlborough College—the same school as Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie—and works as an account manager at an ethical food company.
After two years of dating, the couple announced their engagement in April 2023 with a casual photo taken at Eaton Estate, the Grosvenors’ 11,000-acre family seat. In it, Grosvenor wore a blue button-down while Henson wore a long-sleeve T-shirt.
The Duke of Westminster and future Duchess will wed at Chester Cathedral in northwest England on June 7.
The Times of London reports that a number of British blue-bloods are expected to be guests, including members of the royal family. Prince William will serve as an usher. (The Princess of Wales is not expected to attend as she continues her treatment for cancer.)
The issue of Prince Harry. Grosvenor is close to both brothers: he’s a godfather to William s son Prince George as well as Harry’s son Prince Archie. But considering the two brothers are estranged and rarely appear in the same room, could both really be wedding guests?
In the end, only Prince William will be attending. The Times reports that the Duke of Westminster and the Duke of Sussex reached an understanding over the phone. While Harry was invited, he agreed to skip the wedding so as not to overshadow the couple on their day. (If he did attend, the press would likely publish stories about their ongoing rift, detracting from what should be a joyful event.)
