Prince William arrives at Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding after estranged brother Harry declined invitation

Prince William has arrived at the society wedding of the year.

The Prince of Wales, 41, was seen walking into Chester Cathedral in northern England on Friday where his longtime friend Hugh Grosvenor will tie the knot with Olivia Henson, 31.

Notably, his wife Kate Middleton was not by his side as she continues to undergo cancer treatment behind closed doors.


Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson standing in front of a bush at Eaton Hall in Cheshire, announcing their engagement
Hugh Grosvenor’s wedding to Olivia Henson is taking place at Chester Cathedral. Grosvenor2023/PA

King Charles, for his part, skipped out on the festivities after having just returned from France to honor veterans on the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day landings.

The father of three looked dapper in a classic ensemble complete with grey bottoms and a black tailcoat atop a crisp white shirt.

William swiftly entered the cathedral without greeting the large crowd gathered outside.

William’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, was also spotted arriving for the lavish service to watch Grosvenor, who is one of the richest men in Britain, and Henson say their “I Do’s.”

William will be an usher at the 400-person ceremony as Grosvenor, 33, is the godfather to Prince George.

The Duke of Westminster is also godfather to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie, however the Sussexes declined the invitation to attend the nuptials.

Ahead of Grosvenor’s wedding, the Dean of Chester revealed that the service will be in modern English to reflect the “contemporary couple.”

An “intimate gathering” will follow the ceremony at Eaton Hall, Grosvenor’s 11,000-acre family estate, where the reception will take place.

The Sunday Times described the event as “the most royal non-royal wedding of the year, with members of Britain’s oldest and wealthiest aristocratic families heading north.”


Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, being greeted by General Timothy Granville-Chapman, Hugh Grosvenor, and John Peace at the official handover of the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre in Leeds, England
The Prince of Wales, 41, is an usher at his longtime friend’s nuptials. Getty Images

Speaking ahead of the nuptials, a spokesman for the couple said that they’ve “taken a great deal of care in planning the wedding, putting their own personal stamp on all the arrangements and have made a conscious effort to involve local and regional suppliers in several aspects of the day.”

On Thursday night, Princess Eugenie was seen enjoying some pre-wedding drinks with fellow guests at the nearby Grosvenor hotel.

Eugenie’s attendance at Grosvenor’s wedding had not been previously confirmed.

Grosvenor, whose inherited fortune is reportedly worth an estimated $12.6 billion, was introduced to Henson by mutual friends in 2021.

Despite inviting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the wedding, Harry, 39, declined the invite to avoid having his reunion with estranged brother William overshadow the nuptials.

A source told Page Six in December that Harry personally called Grosvenor to explain the situation and the pair mutually agreed it would be best if he didn’t come.

“Harry actually got a ‘save the date’ card a few months ago but called Hugh and said it would be too awkward if he and Meghan Markle attended, so he made his apologies and Hugh understood,” an insider shared.

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