Anyone who bears the title of “duke” undoubtedly has made the acquaintance of Britain’s Buckingham Palace crowd, but for Hug…
Anyone who bears the title of “duke” undoubtedly has made the acquaintance of Britain’s Buckingham Palace crowd, but for Hugh Grosvenor, the relationship goes beyond that. Rising from the title of earl to the new Duke of Westminster upon the his father’s death in 2016, Grosvenor has had a long-standing connection with several members of the royal family.
King Charles III is his godfather, and Grosvenor himself was named godfather of Prince George, son of William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales. He’s also the godfather of Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The world has become more familiar with Grosvenor since he announced his engagement to Olivia Henson in 2023, with the wedding on June 7, 2024. While it’s not one of the official royal events happening in 2024, it does have ties to the crown — William is not only attending but serving as an usher at the ceremony. (Harry was reportedly invited but declined – another date to add to the timeline of the rift between Princess Diana’s sons.)
Grosvenor has been getting attention for his close connections to the royal family, but that’s not the only thing he’s known for in his country. The Duke of Westminster has the distinction of being the richest man in the United Kingdom under the age of 40.
When The Sunday Times revealed their round-up of the “40 Richest People Under 40 in the UK” on May 17, 2024, 33-year-old Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor was a must-include. His reported wealth of 10.127 billion British pounds was enough to put him at the top of that list, and earn him the rank of 14th richest person of any age in the United Kingdom.
His money was inherited from his family, who has been heavily involved in real estate since the 1600s. The Grosvenor Group, the family’s official company, owns property and buildings in the Mayfair and Belgravia districts of London, as well as in 48 cities around the world.
Along with commercial property, Grosvenor and his family have called Eaton Estate home since the 1400s. It’s 11,000 acres in the county of Cheshire, England, includes Eaton Hall (pictured above), where Grosvenor grew up, and where he will live with his new wife Olivia Easton. Their wedding will be held at the Chester Cathedral, about a 15-minute drive from the grand manor.
While Grosvenor has mostly lived a relatively low-key life, he did have one very big indulgence that hinted at his family’s fortune. For his 21st birthday in 2021, he threw an extravagant party, with the 800 invited guests directed to dress in black tie and neon. The estimated cost of the bash was 5 million pounds (about 7.8 million US dollars at the time).
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