Prince William arrives at close friend Duke of Westminster’s society wedding
Prince William has arrived at the society wedding of his close friend the Duke of Westminster, who had until now been dubbed “Britain’s most eligible bachelor”.
The heir to the throne is acting as an usher at the ceremony at Chester Cathedral, which will see billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 33, and Olivia Henson, 31, tie the knot.
The groom (left) waves to well-wishers. Pic: PA
The Prince of Wales arrived at the cathedral at about 10.30am, leaving a Mercedes and entering through a side entrance unseen by many of the people in the crowds gathered on the street outside.
It is expected the wedding will be attended by some 400 guests.
The occasion has been billed as one of the most prestigious social events of the year.
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William’s brother the Duke of Sussex is not expected to attend by mutual agreement, amid a long-running rift between the princes.
Other notable absences include the Princess of Wales, who has been out of the public eye as she undergoes treatment for cancer, and the King, the groom’s godfather, who had been at D-Day commemorations in France on Thursday.
The Duke of Westminster is godfather to William’s son, Prince George, and also, reportedly, to Harry’s son Prince Archie.
Ten-year-old George is not expected to attend due to it being a school day.
The bride’s dress was designed by Emma Victoria Payne. Pic: PA
A gust of wind caught the bride’s long veil prompting gasps among the crowd. Pic: PA
The duke topped topped the Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List earlier this year, with an estimated fortune of £10.1bn.
He inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25 following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016.
His bride will become a duchess on their marriage.
The couple announced their engagement in April last year after being together for two years.
Crowds gathered outside to catch a glimpse of those attending. Pic: PA
Ms Henson travelled to the cathedral with her father in a vintage Bentley, originally made for the car manufacturer’s founder in 1930.
She wore a dress and veil designed by Emma Victoria Payne.
It featured an embroidery design which incorporated floral motifs and edgings from Ms Henson’s great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880.
Ms Henson travelled to the cathedral with her father in a vintage Bentley. Pic: PA
The bride’s long veil blew in the wind, prompting gasps from the crowd, as she entered the cathedral.
She also wore the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara made for Grosvenor brides to wear on their wedding day, which has been in the family since 1906.
Her bouquet was made of flowers picked from the gardens of the duke’s family home, Eaton Hall.
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The wedding will be officiated by the Dean of Chester, the Very Revd Dr Tim Stratford.
The service will be sung by the Chester Cathedral Choir, accompanied by musicians from North West England.
The couple are said to have chosen the wedding venue for its beauty and because of the personal connection to the duke, whose family home Eaton Hall is nearby.
The service will be followed by a private reception.
Seasonal flowers for the ceremony were sourced from local growers and will be made into bouquets after the wedding, to be delivered to local charities, churches and organisations.
Chester’s council had warned the city would be busier than usual on Friday due to the wedding, with a number of road closures in place, and urged people to “rethink journeys”.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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