The anticipation builds for the upcoming society wedding between Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, and his bride, Olivia Henson.
On Tuesday, the couple, set to marry on June 7th, visited their wedding venue – Chester Cathedral – as they toured three organizations supported by the Duke’s Westminster Foundation.
Despite both being based in London for work, why did they select Chester Cathedral for their wedding venue?
The decision largely stems from the Duke’s family connections, as the Grosvenor family’s historic seat, Eaton Hall, lies just under four miles from Chester Cathedral.
When the date for their nuptials was announced, a spokesperson for Hugh and Olivia said: “The couple have chosen the cathedral for both its beauty and long association with the Grosvenor family, including to the Duke personally. Cheshire is the Grosvenor family’s ancestral home and as Miss Henson’s connection to the region continues to grow, they are keen to plan their wedding there.”
Whilst visiting a parent-toddler music class at the Cathedral earlier this week, Hugh also shared more reasons around their choice of wedding venue.
“I think next time we’re in here will be slightly more nerve-wracking,” Hugh told Town & Country. “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.”
Bride-to-be Olivia added: “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.”
The Duke’s upcoming wedding in Chester won’t be the first for his family. In 2004, Hugh’s eldest sister, Lady Tamara Grosvenor, exchanged vows with Edward van Cutsem at the Cathedral, with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip among the esteemed guests.
Hugh serves as Chair of both the Grosvenor Trustees and the Westminster Foundation, overseeing the charitable endeavors of the Duke and Grosvenor businesses.
He inherited the Grosvenor estate from his father, Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, following his passing in 2016, and currently boasts an estimated fortune of £9.9 billion.
Meanwhile, Olivia holds the position of senior account manager at Belazu, a B-Corp certified food company based in London. Introduced to each other by mutual friends two years ago, the couple announced their engagement in April 2023.
