Prince William took a break from his royal duties to participate as an usher at the wedding of his friend, Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster. The wedding of Grosvenor, a 33-year-old British landowner, to Olivia Henson, 31, was a highly anticipated event in the British high society calendar.
The ceremony took place at Chester Cathedral in northwest England, near the duke's expansive Eaton Hall estate. Grosvenor, dressed in a morning suit, and Henson, in a stunning white wedding dress by British designer Emma Victoria Payne, arrived to cheers from onlookers. Henson's veil, worn over a tiara, added to the elegance of the occasion.
Grosvenor, who became a godfather to Prince George, the eldest son of William and Catherine, inherited his title at the age of 25 following his father's passing in 2016. The Grosvenor family's history dates back to 1677 when Sir Thomas Grosvenor married heiress Mary Davies and acquired marshland that eventually became the affluent neighborhoods of Mayfair and Belgravia in London.
The Grosvenor Estate, owned by the family, encompasses 300 acres of land in London, along with various properties across the UK and worldwide. The duke's wealth, estimated at over 10 billion pounds ($12.8 billion) in the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List, reflects the family's long-standing presence in the real estate and development sectors.
Notable absentees from the wedding included William's wife, Catherine, who is undergoing cancer treatment, and his brother, Prince Harry, who resides in California with his wife, Meghan, and their children. The wedding marked a significant moment for Grosvenor and Henson, surrounded by family, friends, and well-wishers on their special day.