Prince William arrived at the society wedding of the year, while his brother Prince Harry agreed to stay away.
The Prince of Wales will be the usher at the wedding of Olivia Henson and the Duke of Westminster, but his brother will not be at the ceremony, remaining in California, to prevent any tension between the royals from ruining the day.
The Duke, Hugh Grosvenor and Miss Henson will marry at Chester Cathedral amid a sea of British landed gentry and aristocracy.
The 33-year-old seventh duke, universally known as ‘Hughie’ among aristocratic friends, is estimated to be worth £10.42 billion, making him Britain’s richest man under 40.
He is godfather to William’s son Prince George and Prince Harry’s son Archie, and gave William the lead role in the service.
Prince William arrives at the wedding of the year in Chester for his close friend
Duke Hugh Grosvenor arrives at his wedding where Prince William will be the usher
Prince William and Hugh Grosvenor in 2004 at the wedding of Edward van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor at Chester Cathedral.
The 7th Duke, aged 33, as a child with a mischievous smile on his face alongside his lifelong friend William.
The wedding will be attended by 400 guests and has been highly anticipated for months in society circles.
Olivia, 31, looked stunning in her wedding dress and blue shoes as she arrived at the 11th century Cathedral shortly before midday.
The custom embroidery design on her dress and veil was hand drawn by Emma Victoria Payne, using floral motifs and borders from Olivia’s great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880.
The bride wears the Fabergé Myrtle Leaf tiara made for Grosvenor brides to wear on their wedding day.
It has been in the Grosvenor family since its creation in 1906. Olivia’s bouquet was made from flowers gathered from the gardens of the Duke’s family home, Eaton Hall.
Prince Harry has agreed to stay away from the wedding and is in California
Princes William and Harry have not resolved their disagreements over the Duke of Sussex’s Spare memoir, which made damning allegations about the Royal Family.
Princess Eugenie is among the many guests who arrived at the event, while the Princess of Wales, who has been out of the spotlight while undergoing preventative chemotherapy, was not expected to attend.
Shortly before 11am, coaches and minibuses full of excited guests began to arrive and enter the side door of the Cathedral.
As they turned the corner, many smiled and waved to the crowds lining the streets, who applauded their arrival.
William, dressed like the others in his morning suit, smiled as he got out of a black minibus and headed toward the building.
Guests joined the long queue that snaked towards the Cathedral, waiting for Prince William and the other ushers to escort them to their seats.
You can read more live updates on the ceremony on MailOnline’s live blog here.
