The 400-strong guest list for the Duke of Westminster’s wedding read like a who’s who of high society.
With the Prince of Wales acting as one of the groom’s ushers and Princess Eugenie among the well-heeled guests, there was no doubt that this was the social event of the season.
The glamorous guests streaming into Chester Cathedral included the tight network of close confidantes that has long surrounded the Royal family.
Among the first to arrive was Thomas van Straubenzee, Princess Charlotte’s godfather, who arrived with his wife Lucy, who taught at George and Charlotte’s former school, Thomas’s Battersea in south-west London.
The van Straubenzee family has long been at the centre of this social circle, with Thomas and his brother Charles both close to Prince William and Harry since their school days. Their parents, Claire and Alex, are good friends with the King and Queen.
Their middle brother Henry, known as Henners, who was best friends with Prince Harry, was killed in a car crash near Ludgrove Prep school in Berkshire in December 2002.
Charles van Straubenzee and his wife Daisy Jenks were among the wedding guests, as were the van Cutsem family, who are also at the heart of this set.
The groom’s sister, Lady Tamara Grosvenor, married Edward van Cutsem at Chester Cathedral in 2004.
The mother of the groom, Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, arrived wearing a fuschia pink dress and matching fascinator.
She waved and smiled as she walked into the cathedral with her three daughters, Lady Tamara, Lady Viola Grosvenor and Lady Edwina Grosvenor, to cheers from the crowds outside.
Lady Edwina is married to Dan Snow, the broadcaster.
Princess Eugenie arrived in a sleek olive green dress and elegant veiled cream hat, accompanied by Violet Henderson-Vestey, a former Vogue editor and author.
Many of the other guests waved to the crowds as they made their way inside.
Prince William arrived in a blacked-out van with 10 other ushers just after 10.30am, swiftly entering the cathedral via a side entrance.
Meanwhile, the groom arrived in a green Land Rover Defender at 11.15am, with his three best men in tow.
Right on cue, moments before 12pm, Olivia Henson, the bride, pulled up in a 1930 vintage Bentley with her father, Rupert.
She waited in the vehicle for a few moments as her bridal party arrived.
Miss Henson’s mother, Caroline, then headed inside with her other daughter, her daughter-in-law and three young bridesmaids.
The bridesmaids are the Duke’s nieces, including Lady Tamara’s daughter and Lady Edwina’s two girls.
Miss Henson managed a nervous wave to the crowds before heading inside, under an elaborate floral arch.
