Prince William Misses Rehearsal Before Duke of Westminster’s Wedding as He Takes on Royal Duty

Prince William appeared to miss the rehearsal for the Duke of Westminster’s wedding despite having a special role at the ceremony.

photographed at Chester Cathedral in northern England on June 6, where his friend Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, and his fiancée Olivia Henson had a run-through before their nuptials at the historic church on Friday.

Prince William is set to serve as an usher at what’s considered the British society wedding of the year, but he had royal duties to attend to first. On June 6, the royal stepped out in Normandy, France to attend two ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, which changed the course of World War II.

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In France, Prince William notably represented his father, King Charles, at the international commemorative service at Omaha Beach, where he joined over 25 heads of state, fellow European royals and veterans from around the world at the ceremony remembering the sacrifices made on June 6, 1944.

King Charles and Queen Camilla also traveled to France to attend a separate service at the British Normandy Memorial on June 6, in a trip significant as the King’s first overseas since resuming public-facing duties after Buckingham Palace announced in February that he was diagnosed with cancer.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway in the U.K. for the Duke of Westminster’s highly-anticipated wedding. According to Hello! magazine, the bride and groom were joined at the rehearsal by Hugh’s sister, Lady Edwina, and her husband, television presenter Dan Snow.

The Dean of Chester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Dr. Tim Stratford, told the outlet that it was “quite the decision” for Hugh, 33, and Olivia, 31, to have their wedding there. The church has long been linked to the Grosvenor family and is not far from their ancestral seat, Eaton Hall, where Hugh proposed in April 2023 and where the wedding reception will be held.

“They could have chosen a remote island, but they chose here,” Stratford told Hello!, adding that the bride “has fallen in love with Chester.”

Before Hugh and Olivia announced their engagement after two years of dating in April 2023, he was widely regarded as one of Britain’s most eligible bachelors. The Duke of Westminster inherited his title at age 25 when his father died, and his family’s fortune was estimated at $12.8 billion on The Sunday Times‘ Rich List 2024. In the update published a few weeks before the wedding, the groom was reported to be the richest person in the U.K. under age 40 and the 14th wealthiest overall. The Grosvenor family’s vast real estate portfolio includes over 300 acres of the posh London neighborhoods Mayfair and Belgravia, along with holdings in more than 40 cities around the world.