Richest baby in Britain? Duke of Westminster’s heir to inherit lavish fortune

When the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, tied the knot with Olivia Henson last year in June, it made headlines as the biggest society wedding of the year, and for good reason.

As the 7th Duke of Westminster, Hugh is worth an estimated £12 billion, making him richer than King Charles and the richest person under 40 in all of Britain.

The 34-year-old’s eye-watering fortune comes from his aristocratic lineage as the head the of Grosvenor Group, his family’s property empire that owns not only the richest neighbourhoods in London, but around 1,500 lucrative properties in some 60 countries around the world.

Now, the Grosvenor fortune is set to pass on to a new heir, after Hugh and wife Olivia announced last month that they are expecting their first child together this summer.

If the couple welcomes a baby boy, the child will easily be one of the wealthiest in all of Britain, and perhaps the world, with a direct claim to his father’s estimated £12 billion family fortune, and thousands of acres of estate, including the historic Eaton Hall, the Grosvenor family seat.

Hugh himself became a billionaire heir overnight at 25 when his father, Gerald Grosvenor, passed away in 2016.

Lavish life of Grosvenor heir

The heir to the Grosvenor fortune will not only grow up with billions in net worth, but also large swathes of historic land and titles, not to mention the family’s storied history etched within Britain’s aristocratic walls.

As per Tatler, the Grosvenor scion is sure to have a lavish life right from the start with the richest man in Britain as their father; the family not only lives on the 11,000-acre family estate, they’re also the owners of 50% of Mayfair and 300 acres of Belgravia, estates in Spain, Scotland, Silicon Valley, and also an island in Vancouver.

The family seat at Eaton Hall alone is one of Britain’s most storied estates, filled with timeless treasures and the family’s rich history in every corner. Not to mention, its impressive art collection that features several Rembrandts, Gainsboroughs, and van Dyck.

Hugh’s child will also enjoy close relations with royalty, as the family is famously tight with the royals.

The King Charles’ godson grew up alongside Prince William and Harry. In fact, Hugh’s father Gerald was specially asked to act as a mentor to William, whose son Prince George is Hugh’s godson.

Hugh is also the godfather to Prince Harry’s son, Prince Archie. Prince William was not even asked to be the child’s godfather.

Will the Grosvenor heir have access to their wealth?

Gerald Grosvenor famously raised his four children, Hugh and his three sisters - Lady Tamara Grosvenor, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, and Lady Viola Grosvenor – as normally as he could despite the silver spoon they were born with.

He was once quoted saying, “He (Hugh) was born with the longest silver spoon anyone could have, but he can’t go through life sucking it.”

Lady Tamara also confirmed the same, telling The Times that the siblings "didn’t’ grow up in a bubble despite what people think."

“I understood my background and how different it was. I was very aware of that. I always wanted to be outside that,” she has said.

This has ensured that the new generation of Grosvenor’s are down to earth and committed to working hard for their fill; Hugh himself has worked as an account manager at Bio-bean, a sustainable company, as per Tatler.

Not to mention, much of the family wealth is tied up in a trust by the Grosvenor Group, which ultimately means that while they may be worth billions, the family does not have direct access to the wealth, this in an effort to protect the family fortune from financial irresponsibility at any time.

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