William among guests at Duke of Westminster's wedding (2024)

Thousands of well-wishers gathered in Chester for the wedding of the Duke of Westminster, where the Prince of Wales acted as an usher.

Hugh Grosvenor, the godson of King Charles III, married Olivia Henson at the city's cathedral earlier.

The 33-year-old duke is godfather to Prince George, but the 10-year-old could not join his father at the ceremony due to it falling on a school day.

Two women were removed from the crowd by police after an orange plume was deployed from a fire extinguisher-type device as the couple left the cathedral.

Campaign group Just Stop Oil said two of its supporters had used the device to project powder paint near the cathedral entrance as the newlyweds made their way to a car.

Cheshire Police said two women, a 69-year-old from Manchester and 73-year-old from Suffolk, had been arrested on suspicion of public order offences and remained in custody.

The duke is regarded as one of the richest people in the UK, with a fortune of about £10bn, while his bride has worked in the sustainable food and drinks industry.

Along with being a godparent for Prince George, he is also reported to be godfather to the Duke of Sussex's son, Prince Archie.

Prince Harry, who was an usher with his brother at the wedding of the duke’s sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor in 2004, is understood not to have attended the service by mutual agreement.

The King and Queen Camilla did not attend the service, after travelling to Normandy for the D-Day commemorations on Thursday.

The Princess of Wales, who is receiving treatment for cancer, also did not attend.

The bride wore a dress and veil designed by Emma Victoria Payne, embroidered with floral motifs and edgings from Ms Henson's great-great-grandmother's veil from about 1880.

The 31-year-old also wore a vintage tiara, incorporating a myrtle leaf design, which was made by the prestigious Russian jewellery craftmakers Fabergé for Grosvenor brides and has been worn on their wedding days since 1906.

Her bouquet was made of flowers picked from the gardens of Eaton Hall, the duke's country house.

Members of the public began arriving outside the cathedral from early in the morning, bringing camping chairs and picnics.

By the time of the service, thousands were gathered outside the cathedral and in the surrounding streets and many of them witnessed the protest as the couple re-emerged.

Barbara Williams, 81, from Cheshire, who was standing next to the protesters in the crowd, said she felt "a bit shaken after it".

She said she and her friend Andrea Machin, 56, had been "standing next to them all day".

"They were already here when we arrived at 07:00 [and] they had shopping trolleys with them," Ms Machin said.

"Everyone was watching the bride and groom and then we just saw orange and they had what looked like a fire extinguisher with them.

"The police realised quite quickly what was happening and pulled them out.

"It happened just as William was coming out of the door."

In a statement issued by Just Stop Oil, the protesters said weddings were "a time of coming together in celebration to make a commitment to the future", but for "countless millions around the world there is no future unless we come together to stop oil and gas".

A representative for the duke and Ms Henson said it meant "a lot" for them to marry in Chester, due to the Grosvenor family's "long and close personal connection to both the cathedral and the city".

They said the couple had "made a conscious effort to involve local and regional suppliers in several aspects of the day".

"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," they added.

The city’s annual Summer Flowers project has been funded by the couple, with 100,000 flowers planted as part of the wedding celebrations and they have also paid for free ice cream and sorbet from three local independent businesses to be given to visitors to Chester city centre through the day.

Poppy, a student at the University of Chester, was one of those indulging in a free ice cream.

She said it was "great to see the people and the businesses together".

"It’s really fun to get the students out in the city and involved," she added.

The duke inherited his title and control of the Grosvenor Estate at the age of 25, following his father's death in 2016, and the couple announced their engagement in April 2023 after being together for two years.

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William among guests at Duke of Westminster's wedding (2024)

FAQs

Who were the attendants at William and Kate's wedding? ›

Two pages (honorary attendants) were also selected: (1) William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton, who was the 10-year-old son of James (Jamie) Lowther-Pinkerton (Jamie served as William and Harry's part-time private secretary) and Susannah Lowther-Pinkerton (née Richards), and (2) Tom Pettifer, who was the eight-year-old son ...

Who is the Duke of Westminster? ›

The present holder of the title is Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke, who inherited the dukedom on 9 August 2016 on the death of his father, Gerald. The present duke is a godfather of Prince George of Wales.

Was Kate Middleton rich before marriage? ›

Before she got married, Kate was already relatively well-to-do. Her family inherited a trust fund that in 2014 was worth more than £3 million ($3.7 million), according to the Daily Mail. When Kate was born, her father, Michael, was a flight dispatcher and her mother, Carole, was a flight attendant.

What is Kate Middleton's full name after marriage? ›

Kate was born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton and is now officially known as Catherine, Princess of Wales GCVO (that acronym references her "Royal Victorian Order"). She officially dropped her middle and last name upon marrying Prince William and also gained these fancy titles: Duchess of Cambridge.

Why is the Duke of Westminster so rich? ›

Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, DL (born 29 January 1991), is a British aristocrat and businessman. He inherited his title and control of the Grosvenor Estate, then worth an estimated £9 billion, from his father in 2016. As such, Grosvenor is one of the wealthiest men in Britain.

Who is the richest Duke in England? ›

Grosvenor is one of the richest men in the UK with an estimated net worth of £10.127 billion. While Grosvenor generally prefers to keep a low profile, he is reported to be extremely close to the royal family with the King, Queen and the Prince of Wales all likely to attend his nuptials next month.

Who is the richest noble family in England? ›

Who is the richest Duke in England? The Duke of Westminster. He is worth about £9 billion. This makes him not only the richest duke but one of the richest people in the whole country.

Who is Olivia Bleasdale? ›

Olivia Bleasdale - Olivia, or Livvie as she's sometimes called, was one of Kate and William's roommates at St. Andrews University as their love blossomed. In their second year, they lived in a rented flat in Hope Street and Olivia also shared a farmhouse off-campus with William and Kate for their final year.

Who was the grumpy bridesmaid? ›

The grumpy bridesmaid was then 3-year-old Grace van Cutsem, who was captured looking forlorn as the royal couple kissed behind her like a Disney prince and princess during the Happily Ever After. The noise from the crowd proved too much for the tot's tiny ears.

Who were the attendants at Charles and Diana's wedding? ›

The royal couple's wedding party was made up of two pageboys (Lord Nicholas Windsor and Edward van Cutsem) and five bridesmaids, including Diana's niece, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (now Chatto), Diana's favorite former student, Clementine Hambro, Charles's goddaughter, India Hicks, Catherine Cameron and Sarah-Jane ...

Who were the attendants at Queen Elizabeth's wedding? ›

9. Princess Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids: HRH The Princess Margaret, HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, The Hon. Pamela Mountbatten, The Hon. Margaret Elpinstone and Diana Bowes-Lyon.

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