The Duke of Westminster is said to be in a ‘delicate dilemma’ after considering whether to ask both Prince Harry and Prince William to be his daughter’s godfathers.
Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 34, and his wife Olivia, 32, welcomed their first child, Cosima Florence Grosvenor, last month, a year after the pair had a lavish wedding, in which the Prince of Wales was an usher.
Grosvenor, who is King Charles’s godson and known as Hughie to his friends, is close to both Harry and William and is thought to be the only one of their friends who was chosen to be a godparent to both of their sons, Prince George, 12, and Prince Archie, six.
Friends of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster say they haven’t made a final decision on who will be Cosima’s godparents, but it is understood that William, 43, will be a godfather, according to the Sunday Times.
However, it was reported that the new father is still considering whether to also ask Prince Harry, amid ongoing tensions between him and the Royal Family since the Sussexes upped sticks to California, leaving their position as senior royals in 2020.
It is believed that both brothers sent their congratulations to the couple after their daughter was born on July 27. A date has not currently been set for the christening.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not attend Grosvenor’s wedding at Chester Cathedral or his opulent reception bash at Eaton Hall last June, while William was invited to be a part of the big day, greeting guests and guiding them to their seats before the ceremony.
It was later revealed by the newspaper that the Duke of Westminster had planned to invite Harry and his wife, but was conscious that the rift between the brothers might cause further tension and overshadow the couple’s nuptials.
The Duke of Westminster is reportedly considering whether to ask both Prince Harry and Prince William (pictured in 2018) to be his daughter’s godfathers
At the time, a friend of the brothers told the Times: ‘It’s incredibly sad it has come to this. Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both.
‘He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it’s unlikely to happen before the wedding.
‘He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness.’
It was later reported that sources close to the Sussexes suggested Harry and Meghan had received a ‘save the date’ card for the June wedding, but they had decided not to attend because it would be ‘too awkward’.
It is understood that the brothers have not spoken to each other since Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, where they were seen putting their conflict behind them and acting in a civil way towards each other.
The occasion marked Meghan’s last time visiting the UK – with Harry returning sporadically on his own.
The rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the Firm has only grown as the couple publicly chastised the Firm.
In his tell-all memoir Spare, Harry described how his position left him seemingly bubbling with resentment, writing: ‘I was the shadow, the support, the Plan B. I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy.
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are pictured at their wedding in June 2024
Hugh and Olivia Grosvenor are pictured with Prince William at an Aston Villa game in April
‘I was summoned to provide back-up, distraction, diversion and if necessary, a spare part. Kidney, perhaps. Blood transfusion. Speck of bone marrow.’
The Duke of Sussex has not seen his father, King Charles, since February last year, when he travelled to London from the US after Buckingham Palace announced the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.
The father-of-two is expected to travel to the UK again next month to attend the WellChild awards, a charity which supports ill children, however it is not known whether he will meet up with the King.
In an interview with the BBC in May, Harry said: ‘There is no point continuing to fight any more. Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course, they will never forgive lots of things. But I would love a reconciliation.’
He then added: ‘I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me.’
A spokesperson for the Duke of Westminster declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail.
Once considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors, Hugh became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged just 25, after his father died 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.
The pair got married in what was the society wedding of the year, starring Prince William as an usher, pictured
The pair announced their engagement in April 2023, after being together for two years
The duke donated £12.5 million to the UK’s Covid relief effort in 2020, including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.
In April, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster joined Prince William and Prince George to cheer on Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Paris St Germain.
It was their first public appearance after announcing they were expecting a baby.
Hugh and Olivia showed their support, each wearing matching burgundy scarves with Aston Villa emblazoned in white across the length of the neckwear.
Earlier this year, a spokesman for the pair said: ‘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.’
Last month, the happy couple also revealed their daughter had been named Cosima Florence Grosvenor.
A spokesperson for the pair said: ‘The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are thrilled to announce the birth of their baby daughter. 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 pair announced their engagement in April 2023, after being together for two years.
In April, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster joined Prince William and Prince George to cheer on Aston Villa in the Champions League (pictured: the Duke below William)
They decided to marry at Chester Cathedral, before inviting around 400 guests including Princess Eugenie and TV producer Phil Redmond, to go to a lavish reception at the Grosvenor family seat, Eaton Hall, just outside Chester.
The Duke paid for free ice cream, gelato and sorbet for Cheshire locals from three local independent cafes so they could join in the celebration.
And a staggering 100,000 flowers – all paid for by the Duke – were planted throughout the city and donated to charity following the ceremony.
No expense was spared as Olivia arrived at the Cathedral in a vintage 1930 8-litre Bentley owned by the Grosvenor estate.
The bride’s veil was designed by Emma Victoria Payne and featuring an embroidery design which incorporated floral motifs from her great-great-grandmother’s veil from around 1880.
Her dress was made by the same designer and she accessorised with blue shoes and the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara made for Grosvenor brides to wear on their wedding day, which has been in the family since 1906.