The lavish wedding of one of Britain’s richest men the Duke of Westminster has been slammed after it emerged that taxpayers will have to pay the cost of policing it.
Prince William was usher and Princess Eugenie was in attendance when Hugh Grosvenor – whose fortune is estimated at £10billion – tied the knot with Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral in the society wedding of the year.
But despite the duke’s vast wealth, Cheshire police say they won’t ask him for a contribution towards security for the event – and will make local council taxpayers foot the bill.
The move was slammed by Evan Morris, chair of the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, who fumed: ‘We’re looking at very, very substantial costs for policing that wedding. It took nine months to plan and Cheshire police haven’t managed to put a price on the cost.’
The move was also blasted by the Taxpayers’ Alliance who called on the duke to put his hand in his pocket.
The Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson kiss after getting married at Chester Cathedral on June 7
Hugh Grosvenor’s fortune is estimated at £10billion –but taxpayers will have to pay the cost of policing his wedding
Prince William (pictured at the wedding) is a close friend of the Duke of Westminster
Prince William was usher and Princess Eugenie was in attendance
Pictured: Eaton Hall in Cheshire, the seat of the Duke of Westminster. Around 400 guests attended a wedding reception at the luxury home
Spokesman William Yarwood said: ‘Taxpayers will feel let down by the duke’s stinginess. The cost of policing this event was huge and for ordinary Brits to foot the whole bill feels deeply unfair.
‘A contribution to these costs would be a noble act of patriotism from the Duke.’
Details of the costs emerged at a meeting of Cheshire’s Police and Crime Panel.
The force said they considered the wedding a public event, comparing it to a football match as their main role involved policing crowds outside the Cathedral.
The force also admitted that it had no idea of the overall cost of the policing operation.
In a written response to a question on the figures involved, the force said: ‘There has been no formal approach to the Duke of Westminster regarding contributions made, following legal advice concerning NPCC (National Police Chiefs’ Council) Guidance for Special Policing Services. The central principle is that the police cannot charge for services which fall within their ordinary public duty.’
It continued: ‘The policing response was to protect the public in a crowded space, that was Chester City centre, and to complete our obligations with regards to protected persons – ie HRH the Prince of Wales – and those who were believed to be attending in the initial planning phase.’
Pictured: Olivia Henson in her custom gown. Her veil was designed by Emma Victoria Payne and featured an embroidery design which incorporated floral motifs from Ms Henson’s great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880
After the ceremony finished around 1pm, around 400 guests, including Princess Eugenie and TV producer Phil Redmond, left the venue in coaches to go to a lavish reception at the Grosvenor family seat, Eaton Hall, just outside Chester
The duke and his bride chose to marry in Chester Cathedral because it is close to where he grew up in the family seat, Eaton Hall, in Cheshire
Miss Henson arrived at the Cathedral just before noon in a vintage 1930 eight-litre Bentley owned by the Grosvenor estate
Dan Price, Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, told the meeting the force had a duty to police public events in the way they do football matches and that the wedding was also deemed one that did not require a ‘special policing service.’
This meant that the duke had no legal obligation to make a contribution towards the policing costs.
Football clubs only pay for policing inside stadiums and not outside and the majority of officers on duty on the day of the wedding were around Chester city centre.
Mr Price said: ‘There are very clear fees and charges on what happens inside the stadium, but outside the stadium policing has a duty to police.
‘I’m sure Cheshire’s chief constable would be thrilled to be able to charge for that but it’s not something we can do… The public are paying for that, for instance, on a weekly basis all over the country.’
He added: ‘We’re not able to request a payment. I don’t believe the Duke is going to get married many times so hopefully this is a one-off event, but I appreciate that with that there will be a cost to the public which may feel unfair. I do understand that.’
The duke and his bride chose to marry in Chester Cathedral because it is close to where he grew up in the family seat, Eaton Hall, in Cheshire.
The duke is the only son of Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster. Ahead of the wedding he paid for 100,000 flowers to be planted in Chester
A bridesmaid and the dress designer (in lilac) struggle to keep Olivia’s veil down in the wind
Pictured: The groom’s sisters Lady Viola Grosvenor and Lady Edwina Grosvenor (left) at the wedding
The Duke of Westminster and his wife Olivia leave their wedding ceremony at Chester Cathedral
Ahead of the wedding he paid for 100,000 flowers to be planted in Chester.
The duke is the only son of Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster. A close friend of Prince William and Prince Harry, he is the godfather of Prince George, William’s eldest child, and Prince Harry’s son Archie.
He was born as the Earl of Westminster but assumed the title of Duke when his father passed away in 2016.
His baptism ceremony was attended by King Charles III, who was named as one of his godparents.
