Britain's Prince William to be an usher at billionaire aristocrat’s wedding
By Eleanor Barlow, PA
Britain's Prince of Wales is to attend the wedding of his close friend the Duke of Westminster today.
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor (33) will marry Trinity College Dublin graduate Olivia Henson (31) at Chester Cathedral.
William will act as an usher for the ceremony, which will start at midday.
His brother, Prince Harry, is not expected to be there after it was mutually agreed he would not attend.
The wedding comes 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, is not expected to attend.
King Charles, the groom’s godfather, and his wife Camilla are not due to be at the ceremony either, having been at D-Day commemorations in France on Thursday.
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 is not expected to attend the wedding as it falls on a school day.
The Duke of Westminster topped The Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List earlier this year, boasting a fortune of £10.1 billion (€11 billion).
His bride, who grew up in London and Oxfordshire, has worked in the sustainable food and drinks industry, most recently at London-based artisanal food company Belazu. She studied at Trinity College Dublin, where she got a 2:1 in Hispanic Studies and Italian.
The couple are said to have chosen the wedding venue for its beauty and because of the personal connection to the duke, whose family home Eaton Hall is nearby.
William and Harry were both ushers at the wedding of his sister Tamara Grosvenor at the cathedral in 2004.
Following the service, there will be a private reception at Eaton Hall.
The Duke of Westminster became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016.
His property company, 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.