All eyes were on the Duke of Westminster and his bride Olivia Henson when they tie the knot at Chester Cathedral.
The happy couple were supported on their special day yesterday by their family and friends - including the groom's close pal, Prince William, who was an usher. But there was one notable absentee - Prince Harry.
The Grosvenor family has long standing links to the royal family. Hugh's late father, Gerald Grosvenor, was a close confidante of King Charles - and the monarch became one of Hugh's godparents following his birth in 1990. Gerald's widow, Natalia, meanwhile, is a godmother to Prince William and in turn, the late Princess Diana was chosen to be a godmother to Gerald's second daughter, Lady Edwina Grosvenor.
The Duke and new Duchess of WestminsterThe two families' connections have remained strong to this day. Hugh is known to be a firm friend of both the warring royal brothers, and was a guest of honour at Prince William's 2010 wedding to Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry's 2018 nuptials with Meghan Markle.
Tellingly, both Princes also made him godfather to their firstborn children, Prince George and Archie. Hugh also played a key role in King Charles' Coronation, carrying the Standards of the Quarterings of the Royal Arms and Standard of the Principality of Wales alongside the Marquess of Anglesey, the Earl of Caledon and Scottish peer and Conservative politician the Earl of Dundee.
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In light of Prince Harry's explosive fallout with his older brother following the publication of Spare, it was always unlikely he and William would both be at the nuptials.
Hugh is good friends with Prince William, who was an usher at the wedding (Getty Images)Reports varied over Harry's absence. Some have suggested that Hugh reluctantly decided against inviting his friend due to concerns that Harry and Meghan's presence would 'overshadow' the big day. Others maintain that the couple were invited and, indeed, sent a 'save the date' card, but decided to decline the invitation to spare any awkwardness.
Another source stated that Harry was 'put out' by William's position as an usher, telling the Mail on Sunday: "William was asked to have a prominent role in the wedding and that's what triggered Harry to decline an invitation," the source claimed. "Apparently he [Harry] was put out by the request when he thought it should have been him."
Certainly, the ongoing royal feud put Hugh in a difficult position. A friend told The Sunday Times: "Hugh is one of the very few close friends of William and Harry's who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both. He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it's unlikely to happen before the wedding.
"He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn't want any awkwardness."
Hugh is one of the richest men in Britain. He inherited his title - and the immense £10bn family fortune - when he was just 25 following the death of his father, the sixth Duke of Westminster, in 2016.
Hugh benefitted from the ancient rule of primogeniture, meaning that he took priority over his older sisters because he was the male heir. Those sisters are Lady Tamara, who is married to Edward van Cutsem, a very close friend of Prince William; and Lady Edwina, who is a prison reform campaigner and married to Dan Snow, the TV historian. The Duke also has a younger sister, Lady Viola, who runs an art therapy business.
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