Duke of Westminster's incredible gift to Chester city revealed ahead of lavish wedding | HELLO! (2024)

The Duke of Westminster is planning a very generous gesture to the city of Chester in celebration of his upcoming marriage to fiancée Olivia Henson.

Hugh Grosvenor, who is the 7^th Duke of Westminster, will marry his bride Olivia on Friday 7 June at Chester Cathedral, just a few miles away from his family's ancestral seat Eaton Hall.

And to mark the big day, Chester will be beautifully decorated with 100,000 flowers planted in displays across the city throughout the summer, all paid for by the billionaire Duke himself, the Daily Mail reports.

The couple will also donate their wedding flowers to local charities and organisations.

The wedding venue

It's no surprise that Hugh, 33, and Olivia, 31, have chosen to say "I do" at Chester Cathedral. It served as the same wedding venue for Hugh's older sister Lady Tamara, who married Prince William's good friend Edward van Cutsem there in 2004.

The Grade I-listed building is less than four miles from Hugh's family home and features in many of the groom's memories.

During a visit to the cathedral last month, Hugh joked: "I think next time we're in here will be slightly more nerve-wracking. But I'm unbelievably excited."

He added: "We've obviously got a long association with the cathedral as a family so we were here for my father's memorial, my sister's wedding, and every Remembrance Sunday that I can attend is here."

Moving up north

London-based Hugh and Olivia are also planning to relocate north following their wedding.

The bride-to-be has become more familiar with Cheshire since dating the Duke, and during their visit to Chester last month said: "It's obviously a place where we will live, where 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."

It's not known exactly when or where they'll move, but Hugh's family home, Eaton Hall, where they will celebrate their private wedding reception after the church ceremony on Friday, would certainly be an idyllic start to married life.

The French chateau-style property, built on land that has belonged to the family since the 15th century, covers more than 10,000 acres. The estate is filled with formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland.

Royal attendance

Hugh and Olivia's wedding has unsurprisingly been dubbed the high-society wedding of the year. His close friend Prince William is acting as one of the ushers, although he is the only senior royal thought to be attending.

Hugh's godson Prince George, who was rumoured to be a pageboy, is not expected to miss school for the weekday wedding.

And it's not known whether Hugh's godfather King Charles, and his wife Queen Camilla, will make it seeing as the monarch is still receiving treatment for cancer and juggling his health concerns with his royal duties.