Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster

Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster
Born	Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor (1991-01-29) January 29, 1991 London, England
Other names	Earl Grosvenor (until 2016)
Occupation(s)	Nobleman, estate manager
Years active	2016–present
Known for	Management of the Grosvenor Estate, one of the wealthiest individuals in the UK

Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster, born on 29 January 1991, is a British nobleman and manager of family trusts. He assumed control of the Grosvenor Estate following his father's passing in 2016, at which time the estate was valued near £9 billion. Since then, its estimated value has increased to approximately £10.6 billion ($13.5 billion), placing him among the wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom. In 2025, Bloomberg reported his net worth to be roughly £9.56 billion ($12.7 billion). According to the Sunday Times Rich List, he held the 14th position with an estimated fortune of £9.884 billion ($13.13 billion).

Early life and education

Born in London on 29 January 1991, Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor is the third child and only male offspring of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster and Natalia Grosvenor (née Phillips). His baptism took place on 23 June 1991, with Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), acting as one of his godparents. Known as Earl Grosvenor until 2016, he inherited his father's dukedom to become the seventh Duke.

On his mother's side, he traces lineage back to the Russian Imperial House of Romanov, including Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, as well as descent from the Russian literary figure Alexander Pushkin. His paternal relatives include Charles Innes-Ker, 11th Duke of Roxburghe, and Thomas Anson, 6th Earl of Lichfield; maternally, he is connected to James Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton.

Raised alongside three sisters at Eaton Hall in Cheshire—the Grosvenor family residence—he attended a nearby primary school before enrolling at Mostyn House School and Ellesmere College in Shropshire. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Countryside Management from Newcastle University.

The Duke maintains strong relationships with members of the British royal family; he is a close associate of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex and serves as godfather to Prince George of Wales and Prince Archie of Sussex.

Career

Following his university graduation, the Duke gained experience in estate management working for Wheatsheaf Group, an agricultural investment company operating on the Eaton estate under the Grosvenor Group umbrella. Subsequently, he took on the role of account manager at Bio-bean, a company focused on sustainability by transforming coffee waste into bioproducts such as logs and biofuel.

When his father passed away in August 2016, he inherited not only the dukedom but also assets estimated to be worth £9 billion; substantial trust funds were also established for his sisters. This wealth is held within a trust structure where he acts as a beneficial owner and chairs the trustees but does not hold legal ownership—an arrangement that notably exempts it from inheritance tax. As chairman of Grosvenor Group, he oversees a real estate development and investment firm with diverse urban and rural property interests spanning Europe, Asia, and North America, along with investments in food and agricultural technology sectors. Among his land holdings is the expansive Reay Forest Estate covering 39,000 hectares in Sutherland, Scotland.

In 2023, during the coronation ceremony for Charles III and Camilla, he participated as one of the peers carrying the Royal Standards. Additionally, on 9 June 2023, he was appointed deputy lieutenant for Cheshire.

Philanthropy

Westminster serves as the chairperson of the trustees for the Westminster Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing grants that benefit young individuals (from birth to age 25) and families residing in Westminster, Chester, and surrounding rural communities.

Additionally, he is a patron of the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), an institution established by his father to support British military veterans recovering from injuries.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, Westminster contributed £12.5 million towards national relief initiatives and the NHS, along with a further £1 million donation to the University of Oxford aimed at advancing mental health and psychological studies.

In 2025, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster made an official visit to the Queen's Park campus of the University of Chester, where they explored various facilities including cutting-edge simulation and virtual reality centers. The university regarded this occasion as an opportunity to demonstrate its advanced resources.

Marriage and issue

Westminster revealed his engagement in April 2023 to Olivia Grace Henson (born 1992), daughter of Rupert Cornelius Brooke Henson and Caroline Belinda Frisby. Henson, who attended Marlborough College alongside Princess Eugenie, comes from a distinguished aristocratic background.

The couple exchanged vows on 7 June 2024 at Chester Cathedral, with Prince William acting as an usher. Among the attendees were Princess Eugenie and Leonora, Countess of Lichfield. The ceremony was led by Tim Stratford, Dean of Chester, with a sermon delivered by Bishop Mark Tanner. Shortly after the service, two activists from Just Stop Oil released powder paint near the cathedral’s entrance.

Their first child, a daughter, was born on 27 July 2025.