Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor risks losing his prestigious family title if he and his new bride, Olivia Henson, do not have a son, according to a new report.
The 33-year-old is marrying duchess-to-be Olivia Henson in a grand ceremony at Chester Cathedral on Friday, June 7, 2024, in what many are calling the wedding of the year.
If the newlyweds do not have a son, the historic Duke of Westminster title will end with Grosvenor.
Henson’s step-first-cousin, reportedly twice removed through marriage, will retain the subsidiary title of the Marquess of Westminster. Additionally, the Earl of Wilton, who resides in Melbourne, is the Duke’s fourth cousin once removed.
“It is a fascinatingly strange situation in which she finds herself: if she doesn’t produce an heir, her husband’s title will die with him – and yet it is her own relative who can rightfully claim the title as his own,” Australian historian Michael Reed told The Telegraph.
Hugh Grosvenor, the wealthiest individual in the UK under the age of 40 with a reported family net worth of $12.8 billion, also chairs the Grosvenor Trustees and Westminster Foundation.
A spokesperson for the couple recently stated, “This is an incredibly special day for the Duke and Miss Henson, and they are very much looking forward to the service. It means a lot to them to marry in Chester Cathedral, especially given the Grosvenor family’s long and close personal connection to both the Cathedral and the city of Chester.”
Speaking to The Chester Standard, the Duke of Westminster explained, “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. But I'm unbelievably excited and I also wanted to make it very clear how unbelievably helpful and supportive people have been so far, for which I'm incredibly grateful because I do realize that it’s going to be a big, big thing for the city.”
