Prince William arrived at the Duke of Westminster’s society wedding of the year to Olivia Henson.
The Prince was cheered by spectators when he arrived in Cheshire for the nuptials of his old friend Hugh Grosvenor.
William will usher the service among the approximately 400 expected guests, while Prince Harry will not be present.
Hugh, 33, will marry Olivia, 31, at Chester Cathedral, with guests flying in from all over the world.
The seventh Duke, Britain’s richest man under forty (worth £10.42 billion), is godfather to Prince Williams’ son Prince George and Prince Harry’s son Archie.
The Princess of Wales, who has been out of the spotlight while undergoing preventive chemotherapy, is not expected to attend.
The Duke will pay for free ice creams, sundaes and sorbets for Cheshire residents at three independent local cafes so they can join in the celebration.
Photos from this morning show excited royal fans forming a crowd outside the cathedral ahead of the Church of England ceremony which begins at midday.
Prince William arrived at the Duke of Westminster’s society wedding of the year with Olivia Henson
Prince William arrives for his old friend Hugh’s nuptials in Cheshire
The Prince was cheered by onlookers when he arrived in Cheshire for the wedding.
Crowds gather outside Chester Cathedral today for the wedding of the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson
A woman dresses in a wedding dress and a Union Jack scarf outside the cathedral
Duke Hugh Grosvenor, 33, will marry Olivia Henson, 31, with guests flying in from around the world.
A general view of police and their supporters as they line the street near the cathedral.
Crowds gather outside Chester Cathedral for society wedding which begins at midday
Crowds gather outside Chester Cathedral for wedding today
Prince William (right) and Hugh Grosvenor (left) attended the 2004 wedding of Edward van Cutsem and Lady Tamara Grosvenor at Chester Cathedral.
Hugh is godfather to Prince Williams’ son, Prince George, and Prince Harry’s son, Archie. Harry will not attend the wedding
Police outside Chester Cathedral ahead of the wedding this afternoon
Fans have been gathering since 6am this morning, hours before the start of the ceremony.
Maths tutor Catherina Rhodes, 59, from Chester, said: ‘It’s an exciting day. I have always loved the royal family, especially the Queen.
“I was taken to Buckingham Palace when I was six years old.
‘My uncle worked in the stables and helped teach the Queen to ride. “From then on I was fascinated by the royal family.”
He added: “It’s fantastic for the city.”
Pharmacy trainer Helen Jackson, 55, said: “I went for a drink at the Grosvenor Hotel last night and saw Princess Eugenie having a drink.”
‘So I know she’ll be here today.
‘It’s fabulous for (…) Chester.
“I came to see the royals when the Queen and Megan Markle came here just before.”
Pensioner Ann Beck arrived at eight in the morning. She said: “I wanted to come to support the family as they are from Chester and of course royalty.”
A staggering 100,000 flowers have been planted across the city, all paid for by the Duke, which will be donated to charities after the ceremony.
A floral arch was built this week around the massive West Gate of the 1,000-year-old Cathedral in the heart of the city.
On a road into town, near the entrance to Grosvenor Hospital, staff dressed a pair of mannequins in suits and wedding dresses with photographs of Hugh and Olivia’s faces attached.
Given the presence of the heir to the throne at the event, security precautions have also been evident, and this week detectives were seen chatting with officers from the local Cheshire Police outside the Cathedral.
Police sniffer dogs were seen checking drains around the building compound for traces of explosives.
Well-wishers line the street ahead of today’s wedding.
Police officers outside Cheshire Cathedral today before the ceremony
A general view of Chester Cathedral ahead of the wedding of the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson
Police vans at Chester Cathedral, where the wedding ceremony will take place.
The Duke will pay for free ice cream for the premises of three local companies. Pictured from left to right: Craig Fermor of Diddy Donuts, Valentina Aviotti of Krum Gelato and Stephen Young of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream.
A fleet of vans delivered dozens of boxes of flowers to the cathedral
A large security cordon will be erected around the cathedral due to the presence of so many high-profile guests. Pictured: Sniffer dogs in Chester
A worker carries a bundle of chairs through the garden of Chester Cathedral.
Temporary scaffolding was also erected near the cathedral while workers fixed the floors.
Eaton Hall, a faux French chateau set on 10,872 acres of Cheshire (50 acres of which are elaborate formal gardens) is where the couple intend to live after they get married, and it’s the perfect location for a party.
Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, based in the heart of Chester Market, will offer a range of Cheshire Farm single scoop ice creams or slices of a new lemon sponge flavored arctic bun.
The lemon flavored arctic bun has been specially created in recognition of The Duke and Olivia’s lemon flavored wedding cake that will be served to guests at the wedding reception.
Ed Warrington, owner of Cheshire Farm ice cream shops, said: “As a local business, we are delighted to be part of The Duke and Olivia’s initiative to offer free ice cream to the public at their wedding celebration.
“Everyone at Cheshire Farm Ice Cream wishes you the best on your wedding day.”
The couple has been scrupulous about not revealing details of the reception and “have also asked us not to post anything on social media when we get there,” said one guest.
It is likely to be an eco-friendly event as both Hugh and Olivia are eco-minded and it is understood that the flowers used in the ceremony and reception will be pressed and turned into sustainable works of art afterwards, rather than simply thrown away.
Olivia, who attended Marlborough College, like the Princess of Wales and Princess Eugenie, is a senior account manager at Belazu, an environmentally friendly company that imports sustainably sourced, chef-quality ingredients.
Hugh has increasingly begun to initiate various green practices, including renewable energy projects, green building codes, and biodiversity conservation efforts.
