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Prince Harry's billionaire pal's 11,500 acre home was once a crumbling estate

05 June 2024 , 13:31
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Hugh and his wife will move into Eaton Hall on the Grosvenor family
Hugh and his wife will move into Eaton Hall on the Grosvenor family's sprawling estate

The new Duke and Duchess of Westminster will celebrate their upcoming marriage with a grand wedding reception at Eaton Hall - their future marital home and the location for his romantic proposal.

Hugh Grosvenor and his three sisters, Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina, and Lady Viola, all grew up at the sprawling estate which has been in the hands of the Grosevenors since the 15th century. And it will be where the newlyweds settle down to married life after relocating from London.

The Eaton Estate consists of 11,500 acres with formal gardens, parkland, farms, and woodlands surrounding the main house. Construction began in 1870 and was completed roughly 12 years later.

Prince Harry's billionaire pal's 11,500 acre home was once a crumbling estate eidekiqtiqrtprwA view of Eaton Hall on the estate (Trinity Mirror)

But the 17th-century property deteriorated over time and in 1960 was demolished and recased in the 1980s to create a French chateau-style home that stands to this day. The chapel and many of the outbuildings were retained.

The vast stable court area has been transformed and now features a number of rooms; a collection of artefacts related to the Grosvenor family are kept in the Exhibition Room, while documents detailing the family's history and renderings of the hall at various points are kept in the History Room.

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There is also the 'Long Room', which underwent renovation in 1992 and currently resembles a sizable country home drawing room with a capacity for 150 people.

Prince Harry's billionaire pal's 11,500 acre home was once a crumbling estateThe sprawling property will be home to the newly-married Duke and Duchess of Westminster (View Finder Pictures)

Meanwhile, there is a dining room in the former saddle room. The Wolf Room, which features a moveable stage and audio-visual equipment, was created from the carriage room and its neighbouring structures. Some of the areas in the stable court are available for hire for fundraising.

There is an onsite chapel which is primarily set aside for family - but every December, carol concerts are held there to raise money for charity. Similarly, while Eaton Hall is the private residence of the Grosevenor family, they open the gardens three times a year for charity fundraising.

There is also a deer park and woodlands, as well as late-19th and early-20th century formal gardens of around 20 hectares.

There are a number of entrances to the estate, but the main approach to the house is down the long, straight, Belgrave Avenue driveway, which is around 2km long, and some 500m from the Hall stands an imposing Grade II-listed obelisk.

During a visit to Chester last month ahead of their wedding, Hugh and Olivia confirmed their plans to set up home at Eaton Hall. Speaking about their decision to marry in the city's Cathedral, the bride-to-be explained: "It's obviously a place where we will live, where 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. So actually, yes it was a really easy decision in the end."

It certainly makes sense for billionaire Hugh, who has a great love of "nature, sustainability and farming". Friends told the Telegraph that the 33-year-old has "a genuine love of the land" - entirely appropriate for one of the UK's largest landowners, who studied countryside management at university.

Prince Harry's billionaire pal's 11,500 acre home was once a crumbling estateHugh and Olivia will tie the knot in Chester Cathedral on Friday (Handout)

Notably, Hugh is also the president of the Country Trust charity, which encourages children from disadvantaged backgrounds to connect with "the land that sustains us all" through visits to farms including the Grosvenor Farms on the Eaton Estate.

Jill Attenborough, CEO of the Country Trust, told the publication: "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."

She added that Hugh aims to take part as much as possible in the school visits to his farm and get "stuck in" with the children. "When he takes part in a visit, it's wonderful because he's just on a level where he's loving being there with them and they love interacting with him."

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