Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, and his fiancée Olivia Henson made a surprise appearance on the eve of their wedding as they attended a rehearsal at Chester Cathedral alongside the Duke's sister, Lady Edwina Grosvenor.
The bride and groom-to-be were joined by their bridal party as they arrived at the Grade I-listed building, showing little signs of pre-wedding nerves. A source told HELLO! that the "glowing" bride-to-be "was all smiles and incredibly relaxed as she departed the rehearsal".
© James WhatlingOlivia was dressed casually in a grey leopard print dress with matching leopard print trainers, and a silver crucifix necklace.
Hugh's sister Lady Edwina was also spotted walking into the cathedral with her children, presumed to be flower girls and page boys.
© James WhatlingPreparations at Chester Cathedral
The low-key couple will say "I do" in a private ceremony starting at noon on Friday.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO! ahead of the wedding, The Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford, who has been Dean of Chester since 2018, revealed it was "quite the decision" from the bride Olivia to hold the wedding at the cathedral, given her fiancé's strong links with the city and his family church.
"She has fallen in love with Chester," he added.
The Dean also noted how proud he was that the couple had chosen Chester Cathedral: "They could have chosen a remote island, but they chose here."
The wedding will be a Church of England ceremony, including readings that have been personally chosen by the couple.
Prince William's attendance
Around 400 guests are expected to attend the high-society wedding, including Prince William, who is a good friend of the groom and will be supporting him on the day as one of his ushers.
William's ten-year-old son Prince George, who is a godson of Hugh, was previously reported to be a pageboy although he is no longer expected to attend.
William missed the rehearsal as he was in France commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Choosing Chester
Hugh and Olivia chose to marry at Chester Cathedral given the groom's long-standing association with the venue and its proximity to his family's ancestral seat, Eaton Hall, where the wedding reception will take place.
The couple are planning to relocate from London, where Olivia is based for her job at food company Belazu, to the north, although it's not known exactly where they will live yet.
The bride-to-be previously told Town & Country: "It's obviously a place where we will live, where 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. So actually, yes it was a really easy decision in the end."
WESTMINSTER WEDDING: AT A GLANCE
Meet the bride
- Miss Olivia Henson, 31, was educated at Marlborough College, whose alumni include Kate and Pippa Middleton.
- She gained a a degree from Trinity in Ireland.
- Olivia is now Senior Account Manager at Belazu, a B-corp ingredient company.
The wedding venue
- The Duke and future Duchess of Westminster will tie the knot at the breathtaking Chester Cathedral
- The space is where his late father's memorial was held, and is set in the city where he grew up.
- Olivia revealed to Town & Country that Chester is "the place where we will live, where we will be building our lives together."
The wedding guests
- The Grosvenors are a family with a long-standing connection to the royal family; Hugh is a lifelong friend of Princes William and Harry.
- The Prince of Wales has been confirmed to be one of the Duke's ushers.
Which royal guests declined their invitation?
- Despite having a close relationship with the Duke, Prince Harry and Meghan reportedly declined their invitation.
- It has yet not been confirmed if King Charles, who is Hugh's godfather, will attend with Queen Camilla.
- The Princess of Wales is not expected to attend, amid her ongoing break from the spotlight as she undergoes treatmet for cancer.
- It is likely Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will not be in attendance.
