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Hugh Grosvenor and Eaton Hall© Getty

Inside the Duke of Westminster's unique childhood, ancestral home and his close-knit family

Hugh Grosvenor will tie the knot with Olivia Henson on 7 June

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
Updated: June 4, 2024
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Wedding bells are pending for Hugh Grosvenor as he prepares to marry Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral on 7 June.

It's set to be one of the biggest society weddings of the year, with reports that the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales are among those invited on the guestlist.

Hugh became the 7th Duke of Westminster at the age of 25 following the death of his father, Gerald Grosvenor in August 2016.

The Duke was ranked 11th on the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £9.9 billion after inheriting the Grosvenor estate from his late father.

Ahead of his upcoming nuptials, here's everything you need to know about Hugh's childhood, siblings and his sprawling family estate.

Down-to-earth childhood and early life

Baby Hugh Grosvenor in 1991© Getty
Baby Hugh with his parents Gerald and Natalia in 1991

Hugh is the third child and only son of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster and his wife Natalia. He was styled as Earl Grosvenor from his birth on 29 January 1991 until his father's death in 2016.

Despite the family's wealth, Hugh's parents sent him to a local primary school before he was enrolled at the private Mostyn House School and then Ellesmere College in Shropshire. Later, he gained a place at Newcastle University, where he obtained a degree in Countryside Management.

While Hugh has largely stayed out of the public spotlight over the years, his lavish 21st birthday party at his family's home, Eaton Hall, made headlines. Rizzle Kicks performed at the bash and guests included Prince Harry and comedian Michael McIntyre.

Meet the Duke of Westminster's sisters

 wedding  of Ed Van Cutsem & Lady Tamara Grosvenor © Getty
Lady Tamara married Edward Van Cutsem in 2004

The Duke has two older sisters – Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina – born in 1979 and 1981 respectively, as well as a younger sister, Lady Viola, welcomed by Gerald and Natalia in 1992.

Lady Tamara married Edward van Cutsem in 2004, with several members of the royal family among the guests at the ceremony, including the late Queen, the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and Prince Harry. Lady Tamara and Edward went on to have three children.

Lady Edwina shares three children with her husband and British TV presenter, Dan Snow.

Lady Edwina Grosvenor giving a speech © Getty
Lady Edwina with the Princess of Wales

She is the founder of One Small Thing, a charity visited by the Princess of Wales last year, which aims to redesign the justice system for women and their children. She is also a founding investor and Ambassador of the Clink Restaurant chain, which trains prisoners for work in the catering industry.

Lady Viola Grosvenor© Getty
Lady Viola Grosvenor at Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018

Hugh's youngest sister, Lady Viola, quietly married Angus Roberts, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, in 2022.

Ancestral family home

Eaton Hall in Cheshire is the Grosvenor family's ancestral home and is where Hugh and his sisters grew up.

The French chateau-style property has been the country home of the family since the 15th century and is surrounded by formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland covering over 10,000 acres.

Eaton Hall remains a private residence and is not open to the public, but the gardens are opened three days each year to raise money for charity.

Aerial view of Eaton Hall, Cheshire© Getty
Aerial view of Eaton Hall, Cheshire

Grosvenor Farms 

The Eaton Estate is also home to Grosvenor Farms, one of the UK's leading dairy and arable farms,working by the principles of regenerative agriculture and circular farming, to produce high-qualityfoods in a commercially and environmentally sustainable way.

The farm produces over 32 millionlitres of fresh milk a year – enough for 430,000 people every day – and grows circa 45,000 tonnesof forage for animal feed and 4,500 tonnes of grains and oilseeds.

Following the wedding, Hugh and Olivia plan to relocate from London up north, where the nature-loving Duke will reportedly go into full-time farming.

The Duke of Westminster's fortune

The Duke will marry Olivia Henson in June 2024© Getty
Hugh inherited the family business in 2016

Hugh inherited the Grosvenor estate following his father Gerald's death. He is Chair of both the Grosvenor Trustees and the Westminster Foundation, which represents the charitable interests of the Duke and Grosvenor businesses.

Grosvenor Group owns about 300 acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool's ONE shopping centre.

In March 2024, the property company announced it is launching a £900 million lending business focused on residential development.

Royal connections

Hugh Grosvenor and Prince William in 2018© Getty
Hugh is godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie

The Grosvenors have had a close affinity with the royal family since the reign of Queen Victoria.

King Charles was chosen to be the Duke's godfather and attended his baptism in 1991.

Hugh shares a close friendship with Prince William and Prince Harry and in turn, is godfather to their respective sons, Prince George and Prince Archie.

Hugh's sister, Lady Edwina, was also a goddaughter of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

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