Prince William's billionaire pal welcomes baby who will bare brunt of controversial rule
Prince William and Harry 's billionaire friend has announced the birth of a baby daughter, sharing the sweet name they have given the newborn. Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, welcomed the tiny tot and announced that the little girl's name is Cosima Florence Grosvenor.
After revaling they were expecting their first child back in March, the couple announced the birth of their daughter in a statement, saying the baby was born in London, adding: "Both the Duchess and Cosima are doing well. The Duke and Duchess now look forward to spending this special time together as a family."
Cosima is of Greek and Italian origin. The name carries a beautiful, elegant meaning and is derived from the Greek word kosmos (κόσμος), which means order, harmony, or the universe.
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor and his wife Olivia married last year, after they met in 2021. The duke, one of the UK's biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie.
William acted as an usher at the Duke's 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.
When the couple tied the knot, Olivia became the new Duchess of Westminster, which, in turn, garnered attention on any titles their children would inherit. As it stood when they wed, any offspring would be affected by a centuries-old rule that also led to Hugh inheriting the immense Grosvenor fortune, estimated at £10bn.
Peerages only pass down the male line (known as male primogeniture), which means that the peerage can only be inherited by a male relative.
Therefore, the Duke and Duchess's new daughter, under the current laws, will not be entitled to inherit the Westminster title, nor the family fortune and estate that goes with it.
Instead, she will be styled as Lady, and if they have any more children, with one being a son, they would be known as Earl Grosvenor until he inherits the dukedom.
The same rule also directly impacted Hugh, who has two older sisters, Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina Grosvenor. When their father, Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, died in 2016, the family title went to Hugh, his third child and only son.
Hugh, who was once considered one of England's most eligible bachelors, became a 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.
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