Who are the guests at 'the most royal non-royal wedding' of the year as Duke of Westminster marries?

ITV News' Amelia Beckett reports on the wedding, which saw the Duke of Westminster marry Olivia Henson.

Words by ITV News Producer, Georgia Ziebart

Today saw the wedding dubbed by The Times as "the most royal, non-royal wedding" of the year.

The Duke of Westminster - once known as Britain's "most eligible bachelor" - married his fiancé Olivia Henson on Friday.

The Prince of Wales was an usher at the wedding of billionaire aristocrat, Hugh Grosvenor, to Ms Henson at Chester Cathedral.

But other high profile royals missed out on the big society occasion.

With guests donning their fascinators and tails, who is the Duke of Westminster? And who is missing from the guest list?

Who is the Duke of Westminster?

Hugh Grosvenor, 33, inherited his title from his father Gerald in 2016, as well as the control of the historic Grosvenor Estate.

He became an instant billionaire, ranking 14th on the 2024 Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated fortune of £10.1bn.

His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns about 300 acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool's One shopping centre.

The Duke is one of four children: he has two older sisters, Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina, and one younger sister, Lady Viola.

He inherited his father's fortune despite not being the eldest, as legitimate male heirs take precedence in inheriting estates.

The Duke is known for his philanthropic activities; he is president of various charities including the Country Trust, and the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre.

In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he donated £12.5 million to the national Covid relief effort, and a further £1 million to the University of Oxford for mental health research.

The Duke is close to the royal family. The King is his godfather, and his mother is Prince William's godmother.

He is also godfather to Prince William's son, Prince George, and also, reportedly, to Prince Harry's son Prince Archie.

Who is the Duchess?

Olivia Henson, 31, will become the next Duchess of Westminster. Her and the Duke met when they were introduced through mutual friends in 2021.

The couple dated for two years, before Grosvenor proposed on his family's 11,000 acre estate, Eaton Hall, last April.

Ms Henson grew up in London and Oxfordshire, and has worked in the sustainable food and drinks industry, most recently at London-based artisanal food company Belazu.

She wore a wedding dress and veil designed by Emma Victoria Payne, according to Tatley. She also wore a Faberge tiara - worn by generations of Grosvenor brides.

Who will be attending?

Prince William, a close friend of the Duke, will act as usher for the ceremony, where some 400 people are expected to be in attendance.

But the Princess of Wales is unlikely to attend, as she continues to undergo preventative chemotherapy treatment.

The Duke's godson, Prince George, will also not be in attendance, since the wedding falls on a school day.

The King and Queen are not due to attend the ceremony either, having been at D-Day commemorations in France on Thursday.

The Duke's three sisters, who are all married, are also expected to attend. Lady Tamara is married to businessman Edward van Cutsem; Lady Edwina is married to TV historian Dan Snow; and Lady Viola is married to Royal Dragoon Guards officer Angus Roberts.

Princess Eugenie was also in attendance.

Why is there controversy?

There had been speculation over whether Prince Harry, who the Duke is also close friends with, would attend.

The wedding comes amid a long-running and well publicised rift between Prince Harry and his brother.

But it has since been reported that Prince Harry will not be attending, after a mutual agreement.

Some reports suggested that Harry and Meghan were sent invitations to the wedding, but decided to decline in order to prevent any awkwardness.

People magazine reported sources saying Prince Harry's decision not to attend was an "understanding between friends", and noted that transatlantic travel has become difficult for Harry due to security challenges.

Since leaving their roles as working royals in 2020, Harry and Meghan have been stripped of automatic full time security, and must apply to the Metropolitan Police and Home Office in advance.

Prince William and Harry were both ushers at the wedding of the Duke's sister, Lady Tamara, in 2004.

What will the wedding be like?

The wedding will be held from midday at Chester Cathedral, which has a long, personal connection with the Grosvenor family, as Cheshire is the family's ancestral home.

The Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford, will officiate, and the service will be sung by the Chester Cathedral Choir.

A spokesperson for the couple said last year that the couple "have chosen the Cathedral both for its beauty and long association with the Grosvenor family."

They added that the couple "have 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."

Seasonal flowers for the ceremony were sourced from local growers and will be made into bouquets after the wedding, to be delivered to local charities, churches and organisations.

The Duke and his fiancé will also subsidise free ice cream from three stores in Chester as part of the celebrations.

Following the service, there will be a private reception and Eaton Hall.

This is the Royal Rota - our weekly podcast about the royal family, with ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship and Producer Lizzie Robinson