Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster

Hugh Lupus Grosvenor was born on 13 Oct 1825. He was the eldest surviving son of Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster. His mother was Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower daughter of the Duke of Sutherland. Hugh was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He did not graduate and became Whig MP for Chester at the age of 22. In 1851 he toured India and Ceylon, and in 1852 married his 17 year-old cousin Lady Constance Sutherland-Leveson-Gower. The wedding in St James’s Palace was attended by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as Constance’s mother was a favourite of the Queen. They had 11 children but Constance died in 1880 and Hugh, aged 55, married 24 year-old Katherine Cavendish. They had 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Hugh Grosvenor’s titles:
1831 - 1845 Viscount Belgrave
1845 - 1869 Earl Grosvenor
1869 - 1874 Marquess of Westminster
1874 - 1899 1st Duke of Westminster
He was an MP until 1869 when his father died and he became Marquess and was elevated to the House of Lords. His relationship with Gladstone was on/off depending on the debate at the time. It was Gladstone that honoured Grosvenor in 1874 by making him 1st Duke of Westminster. Grosvenor was a major racehorse owner and breeder, and a supporter of many charities and causes. He was teetotal and was responsible for closing down 39 pubs out of the 47 in his Mayfair estate.
His military interests were inspired by the Volunteer movement of the late 1850s. He founded probably the most famous of the Volunteer Rifle units, the Queen’s Westminsters in 1860. The print, here, depicts the Duke in their uniform. On 30 Oct 1869 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Earl of Chester’s Yeomanry Cavalry. The family seat in the country was Eaton Hall near Eccleston in Cheshire. Hugh appointed Alfred Waterhouse to make additions to the house which took 12 years to complete. His eldest son and heir died in 1884, fifteen years before Hugh so the title of Duke passed to his grandson, Hugh Richard Arthur aka Bendor who was Honorary Colonel of the Cheshire Yeomanry from 1917. The 1st Duke died of bronchitis on 22 Dec 1899 while visiting his grand-daughter in Dorset. He was cremated at Woking, in line with his support for cremation in opposition to the Church of England at the time.

Regimental Details | Cheshire Yeomanry Lieutenant-Colonel Commandants