New Duchess of Westminster will live a normal life despite an almost £10billion fortune: Hugh Grosvenor ‘doesn’t let wealth define him’ and ‘spent his twenties working for a recycling company’
After becoming one of the youngest billionaires in the world, you may expect Hugh Grosevnor to become a playboy and party animal.
But the newlywed, who is worth close to £10 billion, lives a very humble lifestyle.
As such, the new Duchess of Westminister can also except a relatively normal life, despite taking residence in the 10,872 acre Eaton Hall in Cheshire.
When he first inherited his father’s title in 2016, he was named the fifth richest person in the UK and the richest person under 30 in the world.
But the lowkey billionaire doesn’t spend his life on yachts and private jets.
In fact, he spent most of his twenties working behind the finance desk of a recycling company.
After becoming one of the youngest billionaires in the world, you may expect Hugh Grosevnor to become a playboy and party animal. But the newlywed, who is worth close to £10 billion, lives a very humble lifestyle. As such, the new Duchess of Westminister can also except a relatively normal life, despite taking residence in the 10,872 acre Eaton Hall in Cheshire. The couple are pictured on their wedding day
According to society bible Tatler the Duke refuses to ‘let his riches define him’ and is known in circles for ‘playing a great game of cricket’.
Most of his career has been at Bio-Bean, a company that turns used coffee grounds into biofuels.
His late father, who died aged 64 in 2016, had ‘firm views’ on how he wanted to raise his children
‘He was born with the longest silver spoon anyone could have, but he can’t go through life sucking it,’ he once said.
The Duke, known as Hughie to his friends, went to a local primary school before boarding at the £31,000 a year Ellesmere College in Shropshire.
At the school he did well academically and then was made a prefect, before heading to Newcastle University. One friend told Tatler he ‘just seemed like a normal guy’.
In fact many friends didn’t know the extent of his wealth until he threw a flashy 21st birthday party – rumoured to cost £5 million – when they were shocked at the size of his home.
The Duke, known as Hughie to his friends, went to a local primary school before boarding at the £31,000 a year Ellesmere College in Shropshire. The couple are pictured engaged
The road leading to the 10,000 acre estate was lined with torches, while steak and chips were put on for 800 guests in huge marquee. The guests included Prince Harry.
Guests wore black tie and neon and Michael McIntyre and Rizzle Kicks were among the entertainment. Jordan Stephens, half of Rizzle Kicks said he was a ‘really nice kid’.
‘It was mad seeing him in that space because the best thing about doing his 21st was that, amidst all this money and that heritage, he was so not like that. A lot of people at the party I talked to were, like, “This is crazy” and “Yeah, I just sat next to him in science and I had no idea”‘ Such personal suppression must have taken some psychological effort,’ he said.
And the humble lifestyle seems to have followed him into married life.
The couple will move away form London to their family seat.
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
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.
NEWLYWEDS: Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster) are snapped beaming as they leave Chester Cathedral following their wedding ceremony
It was reported by Tatler that Olivia (pictured on her wedding day) has left her job at sustainable food company Belazu as her enters her new ‘era’
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.
The Duke of Westminster is friends with Prince William and Prince Harry, and is a godfather to Prince George and Prince Archie (pictured with Prince William at the wedding of Edward van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor in 2004)
Prince William (pictured, right) was an usher at the Chester wedding of Hugh Grosvenor (pictured, left) and Olivia Henson (seen at the official handover to the nation of the newly built Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre in Leeds in 2018)
‘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’.
The Duke of Westminster and his then-fiancee Olivia Henson are pictured during a charitable visit in Chester earlier this year, ahead of their wedding
The couple visit Chester Cathedral ahead of their June 7 nuptials. During the outing, Olivia (pictured, centre) revealed that moving to Cheshire had been an ‘easy decision’
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.
