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Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster is close to William and Harry© Getty

Prince William set to play key role at Duke of Westminster's wedding that Princess Kate will likely skip – report

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

Phoebe Tatham
Content Writer
May 19, 2024
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The Prince of Wales is reportedly set to take on the role of usher next month at the wedding of his friend, the Duke of Westminster.

Hugh Grosvenor and his fiancée Olivia Henson are set to tie the knot at Chester Cathedral on 7 June. Their big day is expected to be one of the biggest society weddings of the year, with a star-studded guest list.

Hugh is a close friend of Prince William© Getty Images
Hugh and Prince William are close friends

The Duke, 33, shares a close bond with Prince William and Princess Kate and attended Prince George's christening at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace after being named as one of his godparents. Meanwhile, King Charles is one of Hugh's godparents.

While William is poised to take on a huge role, according to The Sunday Times, Princess Kate is not expected to be in attendance as she continues cancer treatment.

Hugh Grosvenor, Prince George's godfather, in a grey three-piece suit in the sunshine© Getty Images
Hugh is a godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie

It's understood that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and King Charles will also miss out on Hugh and Olivia's big day. Like William, Harry has long shared a close bond with Hugh who is also a godfather to Prince Archie, five.

The 7th Duke of Westminster has often been referred to as 'the most eligible man in Britain' owing to his aristocracy, wealth and close friendships with both Princes William and Harry.

The Duke, or 'Hughie' as he is known to his friends, inherited the title and seat at Eaton Hall from his father in 2016 as well as 140,000 acres of land in Oxfordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Scotland, and 300 acres in Mayfair and Belgravia.

Prince George’s godfather Hugh Grosvenor will wed food ingredient company account manager Olivia Henson
The couple are set to tie the knot on 7 June

He is thought to be worth an estimated £9.878 billion and is also the Chair of the Westminster Foundation, focused on helping vulnerable young children. Meanwhile, Olivia is a senior account manager at Belazu, a B-Corp certified food company in London.

King Charles's godson met Olivia back in 2021 through mutual friends, with the couple celebrating their engagement two years later in April 2023.

The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson sat inside Chester Cathedral© Grosvenor 2024
The pair will walk down the aisle at Chester Cathedral next month

The couple's ceremony will take place at Chester Cathedral, after which there will be a reception at Eaton Hall.

A spokesperson for the couple said: "The couple have chosen the cathedral for both its beauty and long association with the Grosvenor family, including to the Duke personally."

Earlier this month, the couple visited several charities in Chester funded by the Duke's Westminster Foundation.

Olivia Henson walking with the Duke of Westminster© Grosvenor 2024
Hugh and Olivia visited three charities in Chester earlier this month

Speaking of his upcoming nuptials, Hugh told Town & Country: "I think next time we’re in here [Chester Cathedral] will be slightly more nerve-wracking. But 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 realise 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."

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