The billionaire Duke of Westminster is to marry his fiancee Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral in what has been billed as the wedding of the year - but the nuptials seem to have become a flashpoint in one long-running royal feud

He was once deemed the UK's most eligible bachelor - but today the Duke of Westminster will officially be off the market.

That's because he is due to marry his fiancee Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral in what is being billed as the society wedding of the year. The billionaire has strong connections to the Royal Family and Prince William looks set to be an usher at the grand ceremony. But it seems recent royal drama has had a huge impact on the wedding - and here we look at everything we know about it.

Richest under 40

The Duke of Westminster, whose real name is Hugh Grosvenor, became the 7th Duke of Westminster when his father sadly died from a heart attack at the age of 64 in 2016. At the time of his succession, he inherited an estimated wealth of £9billion and gained several new estates. He was just 25 at the time.

Hugh took over an immense property portfolio that spans land in the capital's most prestigious postcodes – including half of Mayfair and 300 acres of Belgravia.

The source of the immense wealth comes from The Grosvenor Group, whose holdings also include the American Embassy, estates in Scotland and Spain, Liverpool city centre, Tokyo apartment blocks, a 'large chunk' of Silicon Valley, and the entirety of Annacis Island, just off Vancouver. According to Tatler, Grosvenor family money primarily dates back to the 1600s, when they first began buying land in London.

Over the years, he has also led a campaign for the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre, which was initiated by his father and continues to support the rehabilitation of seriously wounded or injured members of the Armed Forces. He has also represented Team GB at Olympic Skeet Shooting competitions overseas and in the UK.

In April 2023, it was announced that Hugh had become engaged to his girlfriend of two years Olivia Henson, who went to Marlborough College, the same school as the Princess of Wales. The couple said in a statement: "The Duke of Westminster and Miss Olivia Henson are delighted to announce they are engaged to be married.

"The couple, who have been together for two years, recently became engaged at the Duke's family home at Eaton Hall in Cheshire. Members of both their families are absolutely delighted with the news."

Royal bond

Hugh's connection to the royals stems back to his late father, Gerald Grosvenor. The 6th Duke of Westminster was a close friend and confidante of King Charles; so much so that he is one of Hugh's godfathers. In fact, the bond between the two men was so strong that Charles later asked Gerald to act as a mentor for a young Prince William.

Gerald's widow and Hugh's mum, Natalia, meanwhile, is a godmother to William and in turn, the late Princess Diana was chosen to be a godmother to Gerald's second daughter, Lady Edwina Grosvenor. The two families' connections have remained strong. Given their wealth and lifestyle, William and Harry moved in similar circles to Hugh and the Duke developed strong friendships with both.

William and Kate asked Hugh to be godfather to their son and future King, Prince George; Hugh is the youngest of George's seven godparents. And he is also believed to be a godfather to Harry's firstborn child, Archie.

William and Harry drama

Hugh, 33, who is the richest man in Britain under 40, finds himself in the unusual position of being close to both warring brothers. Both are believed to have been invited to the wedding, but only one is attending - William, with Harry diplomatically declining his invitation.

As a pal of both, Hugh understandably wanted to have both his friends at the wedding but agreed with Harry he would skip the event. A source previously told the Sunday Times: "Hugh is one of the very few close friends of William and Harry's who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both.

"He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it's unlikely to happen before the wedding. He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn't want any awkwardness."

After Hugh and Harry came to the "civilised understanding" it seemingly paved the way for William's attendance - and for him to take up his role as an usher at the ceremony. William is thought to be attending the wedding without his wife the Princess of Wales, who is continuing her recovery following a cancer diagnosis.

Glittering guestlist

It is believed that 400 guests will pack into Chester Cathedral for the wedding ceremony. The happy couple's family and friends are likely to be there including his three sisters Lady Tamara, Lady Viola and Lady Edwina, who is married to TV historian Dan Snow.

However, one very special guest looks set to be missing - his godfather King Charles. He is said to have been invited to the wedding but has had a busy few days attending D-Day commemorations and is using the weekend to rest before Trooping the Colour next Saturday.

However, his and Queen Camilla's believed non-attendance has sparked memories of when Hugh's sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor married Edward van Cutsem at the same venue in 2004. At that wedding, the late Queen was invited, as was the then Prince Charles and Camilla, although it was before the pair married. It was reported that Camilla's invitation came with the stipulation she could not sit next to Charles or arrive with him, due to the late Queen and Prince Philip also attending.

This is said to have left Camilla furious and in the end neither she nor Charles attended, with the future King believed not to have been happy about how his now-wife was being treated. And a source told the Daily Mail: "Their Majesties have not forgotten what happened at the wedding of Hugh's sister. There is still a lot of tension that exists."

Happy ever after

Hugh and Olivia, the happy couple, have largely kept their wedding plans private. However, last month, the 'nearlyweds' paid a visit to their wedding venue - the Grosvenor family's ancestral estate, Eaton Hall is less than four miles from Chester Cathedral - and spoke of their excitement.

"I think next time we're in here will be slightly more nerve-wracking. But I'm unbelievably excited," Hugh told Town & Country. "I just wanted to make it very clear how unbelievably helpful people have been, how supportive they've been so far which I'm unbelievably grateful for."

Olivia added: "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. So actually, yes it was a really easy decision in the end."

The Duke looks set to settle down to the 'farming life of a country gentleman' following his wedding with Olivia. Friends told the Telegraph that the 33-year-old, who studied countryside management at university, has "a genuine love of the land" - entirely fitting given his position as one of the UK's largest landowners.