The Duke of Westminster is celebrating his 35th birthday on Thursday – but it will likely look very different from usual. Hugh Grosvenor, who is Prince George’s godfather and has an estimated worth of £10 billion, is celebrating the milestone for the first time since becoming a father.
Hugh, who is the 7th Duke of Westminster, and his wife, Olivia Henson, welcomed their first baby in July, a girl named Cosima Florence. The couple tied the knot in Chester Cathedral in June 2024, with Prince William acting as an usher.
After their wedding, the Duke and Duchess moved from London to Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor family seat, where they will likely be celebrating his birthday. The grand estate is just outside Chester and sits in a huge 11,000 acres of parkland, including the magnificent Eaton Hall. The 150-bedroom home has a chapel and bell tower, closely resembling a French chateau.
The milestone birthday will likely be a close family affair, with a source close to the couple telling HELLO! back in August that they were “just looking forward to spending time with their daughter as a family” over the coming months.
Who is the Duke of Westminster?
The Duke is one of the UK’s biggest landowners and is a close friend of both Prince William and Prince Harry. His extensive property portfolio includes 50 per cent of Mayfair and 300 acres of Belgravia, giving him a net worth in the billions. He is the godfather to Prince George and reportedly also to Archie, Harry’s son.
The Prince of Wales acted as an usher at the Duke’s wedding in 2024, with Harry mutually agreeing with the groom that he would not attend amid his long-running feud with his brother.
Hugh, once considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father, Gerald, from a heart attack in 2016. He has three sisters: Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola. His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s One shopping centre.
© Getty ImagesNine months after their marriage, Hugh and Olivia announced that they were expecting their first child. Baby Cosima was born last July, with the couple releasing a statement: “The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are thrilled to announce the birth of their baby daughter. They have named her Cosima Florence Grosvenor.”
As the Duke and Duchess embark on their parenting journey, they may reflect on the approach of Hugh’s late father, who once said of his son: “He was born with the longest silver spoon anyone could have, but he can’t go through life sucking it.”
New announcement
In November, the Duke’s enterprise, Grosvenor Hart Homes, revealed it was “accelerating its growth with a £100m acquisition drive, aiming to expand its portfolio to 750 homes across Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and South Lancashire”.
It added that the “expansion is set to support 2,000 children and young people and generate £100m in public savings over the next decade. We are partnering with private developers, contractors and registered providers to source high-quality, tenure-blind, well-located homes due for delivery in the next 12 to 36 months”. Grosvenor Hart Homes was launched back in 2023 and has shown positive results through its pilot in Chester.
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