Who is Olivia Henson, the future Duchess of Westminster?
Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, delighted royal fans when he announced his upcoming wedding to senior account manager Olivia Henson, 31.
King Charles's godson met Olivia in 2021 through mutual friends, and the couple celebrated their engagement two years later in April 2023 with a casual photograph in the grounds of his family home, Eaton Hall in Cheshire.
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The 7th Duke of Westminster has often been referred to as 'the most eligible man in Britain' owing to his aristocracy, wealth and close friendships with both Princes William and Harry. He is godfather to both Prince George and Prince Archie, and there has been much speculation about which of the royals will attend the ceremony.
The Duke, or 'Hughie' as he is known to his friends, inherited the title and seat at Eaton Hall from his father in 2016 as well as 140,000 acres of land in Oxfordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Scotland, and 300 acres in Mayfair and Belgravia. He is worth an estimated £9.878 billion and is also the Chair of the Westminster Foundation, focused on helping vulnerable young children.
While the Duke's life has been led largely in the public eye, little is known about his bride-to-be. Read on for everything we do know about the future Duchess of Westminster.
Education
Hugh's fiancée attended the Dragon School in Oxford before joining Marlborough College, a co-educational private school for pupils aged 13-18. Princess Eugenie is a notable alumna.
Olivia then went to study at the prestigious Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, achieving a 2:1 in Hispanic Studies and Italian.
Working life
Olivia is currently a senior account manager for Belazu, a B-corp and luxury food ingredient importer. The company deals in goods such as rose harissa and preserved lemons. Unlike the Princess of Wales, Olivia will not be required to give up work to take on royal duties.
READ: 14 golden rules the royal family has to follow
Spotlight shy
Little is known about the future Duchess of Westminster, although that may change once the couple wed. Unlike many of her generation, Olivia's online presence is minimal.
Links with Princess Kate
There are many similarities between the Princess of Wales and the soon-to-be Duchess of Westminster. They both attended Marlborough College, the private school where Princess Kate was captain of the hockey team. Both the Princess and the future Duchess achieved a 2:1 at university and had successful careers before their marriages.
READ: Prince George's godfather Hugh Grosvenor's bride is strikingly similar to Princess Kate
Like Princess Kate, Olivia will be marrying into a prestigious family. The Duke has three sisters and is actually the third child, but inherited the family fortune due to primogeniture, a custom where the male heir takes precedence over female heirs.
The eldest child of the late 6th Duke of Westminster Gerald Grosvenor and his wife Natalia is Lady Tamara van Cutsem, 44. She married Edward van Cutsem, 51, who is a close friend of the royal family. Keen-eyed royal fans will notice Edward was a page boy at Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981, and is actually King Charles's godson.
The couple also married at Chester Cathedral, in 2004.
Lady Edwina, 42, is a criminologist and philanthropist. She is married to Dan Snow, the historian and TV presenter many will know from History Hit. The duo attended Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018, and Lady Edwina was the late Princess Diana's goddaughter.
The Duke has one younger sister, Lady Viola, 31. She follows her family in her social consciousness, running an art therapy business. She married Angus Roberts of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, in a private ceremony in 2022.
It is expected that the Westminster family will be in attendance. The wedding date is set for 7th June and the couple will wed in Chester Cathedral. A spokesperson for the couple said: "The couple have chosen the cathedral for both its beauty and long association with the Grosvenor family, including to the Duke personally."
Prince William is also rumoured to be on the guest list. As King Charles is Hugh's godfather, royal watchers will have to stay tuned to see if the monarch makes an appearance at the society wedding of the season.
