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The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson have married at Chester Cathedral in what was widely billed as the society wedding of the year.
Billionaire Hugh Grosvenor, 33, arrived in a Land Rover with his best men shortly before 11.30am, before waving to crowds of well-wishers gathered outside.
Ms Henson, 31, was driven to the cathedral in a vintage Bentley, just before the service began at midday.
Roughly an hour later the couple left hand-in-hand before stopping to kiss before photographers, while having to contend with some strong winds.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Chester to catch a glimpse of the wedding party, which included the duke’s close friend Prince William who acted as an usher.
What appeared to be an orange fire extinguisher was let off by one member of the public as the wedding party, including the Prince, left the cathedral.
A woman was removed from the crowd by police.
One of the women was heard to say “Just Stop Oil” as the device was released, after the couple kissed for the crowds.
Just Stop Oil said two of its supporters had used fire extinguishers to project powder paint near the entrance to Chester Cathedral.
In a statement, they quoted protester Polly, 73, a care worker from Norfolk, who said: “Weddings are a time of coming together in celebration to make a commitment to the future.
🚨 BREAKING: JUST STOP OIL DISRUPT DUKE OF WESTMINSTER'S WEDDING
Hugh Grosvenor: inherits £10 billion.
Young people: inherit societal collapse.🔥 Take action with us — https://t.co/7BzUVS0A3x pic.twitter.com/SttUAvIm1M
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 7, 2024
“However, for countless millions around the world there is no future unless we come together to stop oil and gas.”
Barbara Williams, 81, from Cheshire, who was standing next to the protesters in the crowd, said: “I feel a bit shaken after it.
“We were standing next to them all day.”
The bride wore a dress and veil designed by Emma Victoria Payne, which featured an embroidery design which incorporated floral motifs and edgings from Ms Henson’s great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880.
The veil blew in the wind, prompting gasps from the crowd, as she entered the cathedral.
She also wore the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara made for Grosvenor brides to wear on their wedding day, which has been in the family since 1906.
Her bouquet is made of flowers picked from the gardens of the duke’s family home, Eaton Hall.
Prince William, a close friend of the Duke’s, acted as an usher fo the wedding and was pictured arriving at Chester Cathedral earlier on Friday morning.
He made a swift and understated entrance, exiting a black van and heading straight into the venue with his head bowed. His cousin Princess Eugenie was also pictured arriving.
Before the ceremony, something of a royal wedding atmosphere was in the air as large crowds of people gathered in nearby streets to watch the wedding party and guests arrive, many waving union flags.
The ceremony began at midday with around 400 guests in attendance.
The mother of the groom, Natalia Grosvenor, duch*ess of Westminster, arrived wearing a pink dress and pink fascinator.
She walked into the cathedral with the groom’s three sisters, Lady Tamara Grosvenor, Lady Viola Grosvenor and Lady Edwina Grosvenor, to cheers from the crowds outside.
The Duke of Westminster, 33, topped The Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List earlier this year with a fortune of £10.1 billion, and is a godson of King Charles.
Speaking ahead of the wedding, a spokesperson for the couple said it was “an incredibly special day” and they were “very much looking forward to the service”.
The couple chose to have “100 per cent British” flowers for the wedding, using seasonal blooms from local artisan growers, along with foliage from the grounds of Grosvenor’s Eaton Estate.
Eaton sits in just shy of 11,000 acres of parkland and formal gardens just outside Chester City Centre, and has been home to the Grosvenor family since the 1400s.
Designed by floral studio Flower & Press, the wedding flowers included rambling roses, philadelphus, campanula and orlaya grandiflora, while birch trees lined the inside of the Cathedral.
After the wedding, the flowers will be repurposed, with all possible made into bouquets and delivered to local charities, churches and organisations. The birch trees will be relocated to the Eaton Estate.
Ahead of the service, Miss Henson will travel to the Cathedral with her father, Rupert Henson in a vintage Bentley originally made for Walter Owen Bentley, the founder of the famous motor firm, in 1930.
The wedding was led and officiated by the Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford.
The Bishop of Chester, the Right Revd Mark Tanner, preached at the ceremony and Revd Canon Rosie Woodall lead prayers.
The service was sung by the Chester Cathedral Choir, conducted by organist and master of the choristers Philip Rushforth. They were accompanied by a group of musicians from North West England.
After the ceremony, the Duke and duch*ess of Westminster are set to travel back to Eaton Estate, where they will host a private wedding reception for guests.
Speaking ahead of the wedding, a spokesperson for the Duke and Miss Henson said: “This is an incredibly special day for the Duke and Miss Henson and they are very much looking forward to the service.
“It means a lot to them to marry in Chester Cathedral, especially given the Grosvenor family’s long and close personal connection to both the Cathedral and the city of Chester.
“The couple have also been moved by the messages of support they have received from around the region and are hugely grateful that people want to share in their happiness.
“The Duke and Miss Henson have taken a great deal of care in planning the wedding, putting their own personal stamp on all the arrangements and have made a conscious effort to involve local and regional suppliers in several aspects of the day.”
Prince William was an usher at the ceremony, but his brother the Duke of Sussex did not attend, amid a long-running rift between the princes.
The Princess of Wales, who has been out of the spotlight as she undergoes treatment for cancer, was not able to make it.
The Duke of Westminster is godfather to William’s son, Prince George, and also, reportedly, to Harry’s son Prince Archie.
Ten-year-old George was stuck in school and also missed out.
Born in January 1991, Hugh Grosvenor grew up in Cheshire at Eaton Hall.
His mother, Natalia, has Russian lineage and includes Tsar Nicholas I and the writer Alexander Pushkin among her ancestors.
He went to Ellesmere College, a co-educational day school in Shrophire, where fees are £6,000 per term, and went on to study Countryside Management at Newcastle University.
He inherited his title and the Grosvenor Estate following the death of his late father Gerald, the 6th Duke, in 2016, and now runs global property company Grosvenor Group Limited.
Grosvenor Group owns about 300 acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s ONE shopping centre.
The Duke also supports a number of charitable organisations. He is chair of trustees of theWestminster Foundation, which supports and gives opportunities to vulnerable young people and their families.
He also supports the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre, a charity set up by his father which supports wounded British military veterans. During the pandemic he donated £12.5 million to support theNHSand £1 million to the University of Oxford to fund research projects.
He has three sisters, Lady Tamara, 42, a close friend of Prince William; Lady Edwina, 41, a prison reform campaigner who is married to TV presenter and historian Dan Snow; and Lady Viola, 29.
Ms Henson works as an account manager for Belazu, a B-Corp certified food company based in London.
Speaking to local newspaper the Chester Standard, the Duke recently said he was “unbelievably excited” about his wedding and “unbelievably grateful” for the support of local people.
He told the newspaper the couple plans to live in Chester as a married couple.“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,” he said. “So yes, it was a really easy decision in the end."
