Who is Olivia Henson, the brand new Duchess of Westminster?

Following her highly-anticipated wedding to Hugh Grosvenor yesterday, Olivia Henson now holds the title of Duchess of Westminster.

The 31-year-old wed the Duke of Westminster, 33, in a lavish ceremony at Chester Cathedral, attended by some 400 guests. And while much attention during the run-up to the wedding has been focused on the big day itself, now the couple are newlyweds, there is interest in how their lives are set to change.

According to reports, friends of the Duke, who is worth a staggering £9.3 billion, say he and his new bride plan to move from London to live in Cheshire, which is home to the Grosvenor’s family seat, Eaton Hall.

With his degree in Countryside Management, Hugh (who previously represented the country at Olympic Skeet Shooting competitions) reportedly wants to concentrate on farming, with reports noting there is a dairy farm on Eaton Hall’s 10,000-acre estate.

Meanwhile, friends of his wife Olivia, 31, say she has left her job at sustainable food company Belazu – which imports high-quality ingredients including rose harissa and extra virgin olive oil from across Europe – to concentrate on her new ‘era’, according to Tatler.

While her marriage has brought her a new title and a share of her husband’s immense wealth, Olivia is no stranger to wealth or the aristocracy, having her own high society family ties.

According to the Telegraph, she descends from the Hoare banking family as well as the Marquesses of Bristol and the Dukes of Rutland. The outlet also said that her uncle is the Grand Master of Scottish Freemasons and her is father is stockbroker Rupert Henson.

While not much is known about Olivia, who appears to enjoy maintaining a low profile, it has been reported that as a youngster, Olivia was a pupil at the revered Dragon School in Oxford, where Emma was a classmate. 

She then attended the elite Marlborough College (of which Kate Middleton is also an alumna) before studying at the prestigious Trinity College in Dublin, graduating with an upper second class degree in Hispanic Studies and Italian.

Before working at B-Corp Belazu in 2019, Olivia was employed by Daily Dose LDN and No1 Rosemary Water.

Little is known about how the couple met, though it is believed that they were introduced by friends in 2021.

Until their marriage, Hugh had been dubbed ‘Britain’s most eligible bachelor’. This was largely thanks to his vast fortune, which makes him the richest man in the UK under the age of 40. In addition, he is well connected, as a godson of King Charles and a godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie.

Hugh became an instant billionaire in 2016, after his father Gerald Grosvenor suffered a sudden heart attack while out on a country walk, and died aged 64. 

His vast inheritance includes 300 acres across London’s Mayfair and Belgravia – two of the most expensive areas in the world.

This is in addition to estates in Oxford, Scotland and properties around the globe – including the 10,872-acre family estate at Eaton Hall in Cheshire.

Olivia and Hugh, who announced their engagement on April 23, 2023, after two years of dating, carried out a series of charitable engagements in Chester ahead of their wedding.

During one of them, they confirmed their plans to move to the north, with Olivia saying: ‘It’s obviously a place where we will live. 

‘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.’

She added that moving to Cheshire was an ‘easy decision’ for the couple. 

Perhaps the decision was easy because of Hugh has a ‘genuine love of the land’, according to Jill Attenborough, CEO of The Country Trust.

The charity, of which Hugh is president, encourages children from less advantaged backgrounds to visit farms (including the farms on his family estate) to help them connect to the ‘land that sustains us all’.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Jill added that Hugh is ‘genuinely inspired by the land’, and ‘so enjoys having the opportunity to bring that to children’.

Describing the 33-year-old as a ‘very authentic person’, she added: ‘He’s really aware of his responsibility as the next generation of farmers and landowners and he gently, certainly not in a sort of pushy way, tries to draw in his network as well of “next gen” to talk about whether they might also welcome children into their farms and estates and showcase what they’re doing for a more sustainable future.’

As part of his work with the charity, the outlet reported that the Duke is currently aiming to take part in school visits as much as he can, engaging with children as they learn about farming and the land.

While the couple revealed they will be ‘slowly transitioning’ to the north, they will reportedly still visit London regularly because of Hugh’s role as chair of the Grosvenor Group, which owns huge swathes of land in the capital.

On top of his rural affairs, according to the Telegraph, he is ‘actively involved’ in the group’s urban property development as well as its food and agriculture technology.

In addition, Hugh is also chair of the Westminster Foundation, which is used by the family to disburse their charitable donations.