Duke of Westminster & bride kiss while usher William leads guests from cathedral

THE Duke of Westminster and his bride wowed cheering crowds today as they shared their first kiss.

Hugh Grosvenor, 33, tied the knot with fiancee Olivia Henson, 31, in a lavish ceremony at Chester Cathedral.

Prince William, who was an usher for the wedding, watched on with a smile as the happy couple left the chapel.

William, one of the first to arrive this morning, led glam guests into the ceremony.

The masses had gathered to get a glimpse of the bride and groom, and waved at other arrivals – including Wills.

After the ceremony, crowds roared as the happy couple shared their first kiss outside the cathedral.

The new Duke and Duchess of Westminster then stood and waved to the masses who had turned up to sneak a peek at their big day.

Their happy day couldn’t be spoiled by Just Stop Oil protestors, who let off orange-coloured fire extinguishers after the ceremony.

Cops quickly leapt into action to remove the eco-idiots.

Earlier in the day bride-to-be Olivia wowed crowds when she arrived in a custom-made wedding dress at noon.

Hugh had beamed and waved at the masses when he showed up about half an hour beforehand.

Dozens of well-wishers cheered as Olivia’s dress and veil got picked up in the wind as she made her way inside the church.

Her gown and veil had been designed by Emma Victoria Payne – and held special meaning.

They were hand-drawn and incorporated floral motifs and edgings from the bride’s great great grandmother’s veil from around 1880.

The stunning bride-to-be beamed at the masses before heading inside to her ceremony.

She looked similar to her fiance, who had a smile ear-to-ear when he arrived at the chapel as he waved to cheering crowds.

He turned up in a forest green Land Rover – similar to the late Prince Philip’s.

Dressed in a black suit jacket with pinstripe trousers, the groom and his groomsmen looked smart.

Hugh grinned as he shook the Dean of Chester the Rev Dr Tim Stratford’s hand at the entrance to the cathedral.

The Duke then beamed as he made his way inside for the ceremony.

Prince William was an usher at the wedding and was one of the first to arrive this morning – looking dapper in a suit.

His cousin Princess Eugenie was not far behind, as well as other glam guests dressed to the nines.

Women donned fascinators, long dresses and heels, while most men wore coat-tails.

Many beamed as they waved to the crowds before filing into the church, while others snapped photos of the masses waiting to get a peak at the happy couple.

Other guests included Charles van Straubenzee, who Prince Harry was best man to.

Harry had been best pals with his brother Henry, who he called Henners, who died in a car crash in 2002.

Well-wishers had been lining the streets near the chapel for hours in advance this morning, with dozens of police standing guard.

They waved frantically as the groom arrived.

Many held and wore the Union Jack with pride, while others donned their nicest outfits for the occasion.

The Duke, who was once dubbed the UK’s richest bachelor, is King Charles’ godson, and the godfather of both Prince George and Archie.

Wills was an usher at the wedding, while Prince Harry was said to have agreed not to attend to avoid clashes with his brother amid their rift.

The King and Princess Kate were said to have been invited to the big day, too, but it’s understood they didn’t attend due to their health.

William and Harry have always had a close relationship with Hugh, and were both ushers at his sister’s wedding in 2004.

And while it’s reported Harry would have loved to have been there for Hugh’s big day – he snubbed the event after “challenges” came to light.

A source close to the Sussexes told People magazine: “There was an acknowledgement on both sides that it would be difficult for Harry to attend.

“It was an understanding between the two friends.

“The decision certainly avoided the inevitable clamour had estranged brothers Prince William and Prince Harry both attended the nuptials, eliminating the possibility of the big day being overshadowed for the couple.”

The wedding, which appeared to have taken inspiration from Wills’ and Kate’s in 2011, was set to be a lavish event.

The private ceremony saw around 400 guests file into the church, before they headed back to Eaton Hall for the reception.

It was announced yesterday that the hundreds of well-wishers who line the streets near the chapel will be given free ice cream.

It’s not known how much is being spent on the lavish occasion, but it’s expected to be a decent fortune.

For his 21st birthday in 2012, Hugh’s father splashed a whopping £5million on a bash.

The Duke became a billionaire at the young age of 25, after his father Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor died in 2016 of heart attack aged 64.

Hugh was the youngest son of Gerald and Natalia Phillips – who can trace her own lineage back to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

This left him head of a property empire that has swept up more than 1,500 buildings around the world.

The Grosvenor Group owns about 300 acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia – which is why Hugh is often described as owning “half of London”.

In addition to this, they own major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s ONE shopping centre, Tokyo apartments, a “large chunk” of Silicon Valley and Annacis Island, off Vancouver.

He and Olivia met through friends in 2021, after two years of dating, the Duke proposed to her at Eaton Hall, which is his sprawling family estate in Cheshire.

Olivia works for London-based food firm Belazu and is said to speak Italian and Spanish.

She will become the new Duchess of Westminster, once they are wed.

A spokesperson for him and Olivia this morning said: “The Duke and Miss Henson 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.

“This is an incredibly special day for the Duke and Miss Henson and they are very much looking forward to the service.

“The couple have also been moved by the messages of support they have received from around the region and are hugely grateful that people want to share in their happiness.”