Everything We Know About Olivia Henson, The Woman Set To Marry The Duke Of Westminster
Olivia Henson's upcoming marriage to billionaire (and Prince George's godfather) Hugh Grosvenor, Duke Of Westminster on June 7 is a sign that true love can thrive off the grid. Despite both being from notable families, the pair have kept their relationship really lowkey, which is probably why details about the bride-to-be are scarce. The couple announced their engagement back in April 2023.
The duchess-to-be doesn't seem to have a public social media presence. However, thanks to her aristocratic roots (and Grosvenor's royal connections), it's almost impossible for her to stay entirely unknown. Henson is descended from John Manners, who became the fifth Duke of Rutland in 1787. She is the first child of Rupert and Caroline Henson and was born in London on September 1, 1992.
As a child, she was a schoolmate of "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson at the Dragon School. She then attended the famous Marlborough College before going off to Ireland's Trinity College and majoring in Hispanic Studies and Italian. She speaks English, Spanish, and Italian, graduating with a 2:1 (the approximate equivalent of a B+ or an A- in the U.S.).
Olivia Henson is a career woman and a philanthropist
After graduating from Trinity College, Olivia Henson took a while to find her path. She worked for Daily Dose Juices, a U.K. juice company that produces healthy drinks while fighting food wastage. Next, she worked with No.1 Rosemary Water, before finally joining Belazu, another company dedicated to sustainability. Henson is pretty busy working as a senior account manager while also teaming up with her fiancé, Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, to aid the Westminster Foundation in Chester.
The couple share a love for the city of Chester and plan to live just outside it at Eaton Hall, the ancestral home of the Grosvenor family. Henson told Town and Country that she is excited to marry at the city's Chester Cathedral: "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."
Olivia Henson has been compared to Kate Middleton
Wedding fanfare aside, royal spectators are obsessed with Olivia Henson because she shares several unique traits with Catherine, Princess of Wales. Starting with the little things, both women have mothers who have very similar given names: Carole Middleton and Caroline Henson. They were both students at Marlborough College, and even though they attended different universities, they finished with the same 2:1 grade. Then, of course, there's their community work. Henson has worked with charities that benefit children through the Westminster Foundation, while Kate also focuses on children with her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Henson and Kate also have the same number of siblings and even look slightly alike. Both women have brown hair and slim physiques, though the Princess of Wales is nearly 11 years older. Unfortunately, due to Kate's cancer diagnosis, she isn't scheduled to be at Henson's wedding to Hugh Grosvenor. William, Prince of Wales, however, will be in attendance, and will serve as his friend's usher.
Grosvenor is also friends with William's brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. He and his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, even selected him as the godfather of their son, Prince Archie. While there were reports that Harry and Meghan weren't invited to the wedding despite this close tie, a source told Vanity Fair that Harry declined the invite due to his rift with his brother. "Hughie did the right thing inviting both brothers while Harry did the diplomatic thing and politely declined saying there were no hard feelings," they said. "It would have been terribly awkward if he had said yes because of the situation with William."