Duke of Westminster’s new spouse Olivia Henson beams in official photographs
The Duke of Westminster’s new wife Olivia Henson beams in official photos from the society wedding of the year.
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 33, tied the knot with Miss Henson, 31, at Chester Cathedral yesterday. The couple announced their engagement in April last year after being together for two years.
Prince William was also in attendance at the ceremony to performed his duties as an usher, but his brother Harry, also one Hugh Grosvenor’s closest friends, did not go, choosing to remain in California instead.
The Duke of Westminster is the godfather to William’s son Prince George and Harry’s son Archie.
Olivia Henson in her custom gown
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster at their wedding in Chester
The bride’s veil was designed by Emma Victoria Payne and featured an embroidery design which incorporated floral motifs from Ms Henson’s great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880.
Her dress was made by the same designer and she accessorised with blue shoes and the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara made for Grosvenor brides to wear on their wedding day, which has been in the family since 1906.
A floral arch was constructed around the huge West Door of the 1,000-year-old Cathedral in the heart of the city.
And a staggering 100,000 flowers have been planted throughout the city – all paid for by the Duke – which will be donated to charity now the ceremony is over.
Everything almost went wrong at around 12.30pm yesterday when two silver-haired Just Stop Oil fanatics tried to ruin the joyous occasion by using fire extinguishers to spray powder paint in the direction of the wedding party, which included the Prince of Wales, as they left Chester Cathedral.
The protesters were quickly removed from the crowd by police as onlookers booed. They were named by JSO as Polly, 73, a care worker from Norfolk, and Sheila, 69, a former NHS nurse from Bristol.
After the ceremony finished around 1pm, around 400 guests including Princess Eugenie and TV producer Phil Redmond, left the venue in coaches to go to a lavish reception at the Grosvenor family seat, Eaton Hall, just outside Chester.
The bride in her car taking her to the wedding
The happy couple walk away from the church surrounded by family
Olivia Henson has arrived for her wedding to the Duke of Westminster at Chester Cathedral
The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson kiss after getting married at Chester Cathedral
Eaton Hall in Cheshire, the seat of the Duke of Westminster. Around 400 guests have attended a wedding reception at the luxury home
The Duke of Westminster and his bride Olivia leaving Chester Cathedral after their wedding today
Prince William, who was an usher at the ceremony, and William van Cutsem after the wedding of Olivia and his old friend Hugh
A spokesperson for the Duke and Ms Henson said they put ‘their own personal stamp on all the arrangements’ ranging from the flowers to food.
However, in one major twist, the Duke of Westminster eschewed the traditional English service popular with aristocratic couples. As a result, the service at Chester Cathedral, attended by Prince William and Princess Eugenie, was in contemporary language rather than 17th century English.
Most Church of England weddings use the words from The Marriage Service from Common Worship, which offers a greater choice of readings and prayers. But some couples prefer a ceremony using language such as ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ instead of ‘you’ and may use the Book of Common Prayer from 1662.
The Dean of Chester, the Very Reverend Dr Tim Stratford told MailOnline that the couple were having a ‘contemporary’ service, rather than using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which includes the line that matrimony should not be entered into: ‘lightly, or wantonly, to satisfy men’s carnal lusts and appetites, like brute beasts that have no understanding.’
The Dean, who is officiating the wedding, added: ‘In many ways this is like any other couple getting married, just on a larger scale, because they are somewhat in the public eye and some of their guests are definitely in the public eye.
‘The couple at the centre of this want to declare their undying love for one another in the presence of witnesses, family and friends and we are here to provide the stage.’
In addition, there is also an updated version of the 1662 service, known as Alternative Services: Series One, which was used by the Prince and Princess of Wales for their wedding.
A bridesmaid and the mother of the bride struggle to keep Olivia’s veil down in the wind
Prince William after leaving the wedding of Olivia and his old friend Hugh
The groom’s sisters Lady Viola Grosvenor and Lady Edwina Grosvenor (left) attend the wedding of The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson
The Duke of Westminster and his wife Olivia leave their wedding ceremony at Chester Cathedral
Olivia and her husband the Duke of Westminster leave their wedding ceremony at Chester Cathedral
Universally known as ‘Hughie’ to aristocratic friends, the Duke of Westminster is estimated to be worth £10.42billion, making him the richest man under 40 in Britain.
Meanwhile, his bride, who grew up in London and Oxfordshire, has worked in the sustainable food and drinks industry.
Ms Henson travelled to the cathedral with her father in a vintage Bentley, originally made for the car manufacturer’s founder in 1930.
The service was sung by the Chester Cathedral Choir, accompanied by a group of musicians from North West England.
The Bishop of Chester, the Right Revd Mark Tanner, also preached and prayers were led by the Revd Canon Rosie Woodall.
