The Duke of Westminster, 32 years old and the best man in the United Kingdom

2020 Times called him “England’s most famous bachelor”. Now that’s ancient history as she announced her engagement in April and will tie the knot on June 7 at Chester Cathedral in Cheshire. His name may mean nothing to you, but Hugh Grosvenor is one of the finest men in the kingdom. Coming from one of Europe’s largest fortunes, the 32-year-old Briton is close to the Windsors and has a fortune of $11.6 billion, or 27 times the personal wealth of the royal family.

Only son of the Duke of Westminster

Born on 29 January 1991 in London, Hughie is the only son and third child (of four) of Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, and Natalia Phillips, known as Tully, a descendant of the Russian poet Pushkin and Pushkin. Prince William’s godmother. Historically, the Westminsters have been side by side with the Windsors for centuries. In 1874, Queen Victoria conferred the title of Duke of Westminster on Hugh Grosvenor (ancestor of the present Duke), then Marquess of Cheshire. When he died in 1899, the man was (already) the richest man in Britain.

But back to our contemporary Hugh Grosvenor. Despite their enormous wealth, his parents did their best to give him as normal an education as possible, the British newspaper emphasizes. The Telegraph. They did not hesitate to send their son to a public preschool near the family mansion of Eaton Hall in Cheshire. But like any good “aristo” british who respects himself, Hugh Grosvenor will later attend only private institutions.

In 2013, the all-recent Newcastle University graduate first ventured into property management at Wheatsheaf Investment, a branch of the…Grosvenor group. Then joined Bio-Bean three years later; a start-up that recycles waste from industrial coffee production into biofuel.

Overnight riches

In the same year 2016, his life changed. His father died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 64. Under the old male-dominated feudal rule, Hugh inherits the title Duke of Westminster and a property empire managed by the Grosvenor Group. And this without sharing with his three sisters, Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola. The legacy is then £9.35bn. Comprised of Tokyo’s residential towers, shopping malls on several continents and even a private island in the Pacific Ocean, this legacy, more important than that of Queen Elizabeth II, is placed in the hands of a trust. So that the young duke could not waste the inheritance. Since then, the fortune has increased by several billion.

6 million euro birthday

We don’t know much about his personal life. The tabloids, however, remember some pretty drunken sleepovers in Newcastle and in particular a birthday party that drew more than 800 guests and cost around €6 million. It was 2012, Hugh Grosvenor was celebrating his 21st birthday, and he had gathered all of London’s elite at his Eton mansion. “The residence we know is decorated with master paintings, including priceless paintings by Rembrandt and Gainsborough,” he emphasizes. Vanity Fair In a 2020 article.

Among the many VIPs in attendance were host Michael McIntyre, hip-hop group Rizzle Kicks and some… Harry Mountbatten-Windsor. Because, yes, the heir is also very close to the two sons of Charles III. And for good reason, the latter was a very good friend of Gerald Grosvenor and his wife Natasha. The couple would be heavily involved in William and Harry’s lives after Lady Diana’s death. With that, no one was surprised in 2013 to learn that Hugh Grosvenor was one of the godfathers of Prince George (who has seven godfathers in total), who is now second in line to the throne.

A question remained among the London elite for a long time. In the TV press, he was sometimes said to be single, sometimes in a relationship with a certain Harriet Tomlinson, whom he met in high school. The mainstream party finally closed the debate on Sunday April 23 by announcing his engagement to Olivia Henson, his girlfriend of two years. “The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce that they are engaged,” a spokesperson for the Grosvenors said in a statement. Both of their families are happy.”

The happy lady studied at Marlborough College, “at the same time as Princess Eugenie”, notes. Vanity Fair. After which, if we are to believe Daily TelegraphOlivia Henson studied Spanish and Italian at Trinity College Dublin. The 30-year-old young woman now works at the London company Belazu, which specializes in the food industry. The fact remains that she will become the Duchess of Westminster through marriage on June 7. While waiting for the big day, the guest list is already making a lot of noise. Indeed, an article published on December 3 states Times reveals that several members of the royal family have already been invited, including King Charles III, Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. As Hugh Grosvenor’s godson, Prince George should also receive his invitation.

On the other hand, a heavy blow for the Sussexes. According to the English daily, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would not be on the guest list, although Hugh Grosvenor is also understood to be the godfather of their son Archie. “He [Hugh Grosvenor] wanted the Sussexes to attend her wedding and had originally planned to invite them, but ultimately decided against it, thinking the couple’s presence could overshadow her wedding day and cause tension for Charles, Camilla, William and Kate “,- writes. Times. A friend of William and Harry comments on this decision. “It’s incredibly unfortunate that it has come to this. Hugh is one of the few close friends of William and Harry who has maintained a strong bond and line of communication with both. He wishes they could work things out, but he realizes that’s unlikely to happen before the wedding. He wanted to avoid anything clouding the day, especially for Olivia, and he doesn’t want any embarrassment.”

ScandalsCamilla Parker Bowles 4/4. he is really happy.

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A donation of £10 million

The reserved “Huey” almost never gives interviews, is conspicuous by his absence on social networks and does not flare up all over London. “You would never have guessed that his father is a billionaire,” confides one of his university classmates, we can read in the book. Daily Star: . The heir, who looks like another Hugh (Grant), also knows how to be generous. During the first wave of Covid-19, he donated £10 million to support healthcare workers. A sum which greatly relieved British hospitals. On paper, the best man in the kingdom seems like an ideal son-in-law.