The Duke and Duchess of Westminster have announced the birth of their first child. Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor and his wife Olivia, who married last year, have welcomed a baby girl born in London on Sunday, named Cosima Florence Grosvenor.
“The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are thrilled to announce the birth of their baby daughter,” a spokesperson for the couple said. “Both the duchess and Cosima are doing well.
“The duke and duchess now look forward to spending this special time together as a family.”
The duke, one of the UK’s biggest landowners, is a close friend of both William, the Prince of Wales and Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie.
William acted as an usher at his wedding in Chester Cathedral in June last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother. Princess Eugenie also attended, looking lovely in a green dress.
Hugh, once considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when 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 property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s One shopping centre.
In 2020, the duke donated £12.5 million to the UK’s Covid-19 relief effort including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.
Olivia and Hugh were introduced by mutual friends in London and dated for two years before he popped the question. He got down on one knee at Eaton Hall outside of Chester, which has been home to the Grosvenor family since the 1400s and is where Hugh grew up.
It was announced back in March that the pair would be welcoming their first child this summer.
A spokesman for the couple said at the time: “The duchess is expecting a baby in the summer.
“The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together.”