Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster (22 December 1951 – 9 August 2016) was a British landowner, businessman, aristocrat, Territorial Army

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

, and peer. He was the son of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and Viola Lyttelton. He was Chairman of the property company Grosvenor Group. In the first-ever edition of '' The Sunday Times Rich List'', published in 1989, he was ranked as the second richest person in the United Kingdom, with a fortune of £3.2 billion (approximately £ in today's value), with only

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

above him. Born in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, Grosvenor moved from an island in the middle of Lower Lough Erne to be educated at Sunningdale and Harrow boarding schools in the south of England. After a troubled education, he left school with two O-levels. He entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and served in the Territorial Army, where he was promoted to major-general in 2004. Via Grosvenor Estates, the business he inherited along with the dukedom in 1979, the Duke was the richest property developer in the United Kingdom and one of the country's largest landowners, with property in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

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Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

and

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

, including the family's country seat of Eaton Hall, as well as of

Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...

and Belgravia in

Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...

. The business also has interests in other parts of Europe. According to '' The Sunday Times Rich List'' in 2016, the Duke was worth £9.35 billion, placing him sixth on the list and making him the third-richest British citizen. The Duke died on 9 August 2016 after suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. The titles then passed to his only son, Hugh.

Family and other businesses

The sixth Duke of Westminster inherited a crush of debt from death duties. With shrewd investments he and his advisors turned the family business, which was no personal wealth of the Grosvenor-family anymore, into a healthy business. The sixth Duke of Westminster was a reluctant billionaire. "Given the choice, I would rather not have been born wealthy, but I never think of giving up. I can't sell. It does not belong to me." Leslie Field - ''Tatler''-journalist and biographer of the second Duke of Westminster - explained why the Gerard Grosvenor, the 6th Duke, was not the owner of the Grosvenor-capital. In his last will, dated in November 1952, "Bendor" ( Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster) provided that his direct survivors would not inherite his capital. Apart from numerous legacies and annuities he created a trust for the benefit of all future dukes. 'The trust was to be controlled in the first instance by his executors, and then by a Board of Trustees of whom the current duke might, or might not, be one. The scheme ensured that the bulk of the fortune would by-pass the three elderly cousins in line to succeed him and devolve upon the future 5th Duke’s infant son. Assets were divided into twenty parts and at the time of Bendor’s death, the present Duke (the 6th), received three parts. His portion was doubled when William, the 3rd Duke died in 1963, increased to nine-twentieths when Gerald the 4th and childless Duke, his uncle, died in 1967, and to twelve-twentieths when his father, the 5th Duke, died in 1979. Although Gerald the 4th and Robert the 5th Dukes controlled their Estate income absolutely, the capital value was held ‘in fee simple’ by the trustees.' The Grosvenor family became very rich as a result of lease constructions in Great Britain. Sir Thomas Grosvenor married in the 17th century Mary Davies, owner of land near London. Their son Richard (1689-1732) adopted the lease construction. In the explanation of Tom Quinn, in his critical book about the sixth Duke of Westminster: 'Rather than build houses himself, he adopted the system favoured by many landowners ..at the time: he sold building leases on what is now Mayfair. The idea was that the buyer of a lease would build a house and then sell on the lease. The householder had the use of the house for sixty or a hundred years and the land then reverted to the Grosvenors. The value of improvements made at the expense of the leaseholder would all revert to the landowner after the expiration of the lease – an injustice created by the landed aristocracy for their own benefit and challenged only in the 1990s by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.' The Grosvenor family's first development was in

, in the early 18th century; the second big development came around 100 years later and was in another exclusive part of London – Belgravia, developed by the family after the end of

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

and the conversion of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

– which is just one mile east. After developing the two parts of

, the family business expanded. During the second half of the 20th century, the business expanded into the Americas and developed Annacis Island and

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, both in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

in the west of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in the 1950s. The family business started developing in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in the 1960s. They moved to

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

in the early 1990s and to

Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...

just before the millennium. In April 2000, the firm moved into new London offices. The business was headed by the 6th Duke himself, who was Chairman of the Trustees of the Grosvenor Group. The Duke was also Director of Claridge's Hotel from 1981 until 1993, and of Marcher Sound from 1992 until 1997.

Early life

As a child, the Duke lived on an island in the middle of Lower Lough Erne in

(Ely Lodge, Blaney, County Fermanagh). His early education was in

before he was sent at age 7 to Sunningdale School in Ascot, followed by Harrow. Because of his Fermanagh accent, the Duke struggled to fit in at first, and even after his accent was "bullied" out of him, he found it difficult to make friends. His sense of isolation became worse after the death in 1967 of his uncle, the 4th Duke. His schoolmates ostracised him because the newly styled Earl Grosvenor became the heir to the Grosvenor-fortune. "One's so-called friends," he recalled, "disappeared like snow in the summer." Unhappy at boarding school, his education suffered. He left school with two O-levels in history and English.

Military career

As Earl Grosvenor he joined the Territorial Army in 1970, as a trooper, family estate responsibilities having caused him to abandon a Regular Army career in the 9th/12th Lancers. After entering RMA Sandhurst in 1973, he passed out as an

officer cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...

and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve of the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

( Queen's Own Yeomanry) on 13 May 1973. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 13 May 1975 and to captain on 1 July 1980. He was promoted to the acting rank of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on 1 January 1985 and to the substantive rank on 22 December. Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1992, he subsequently commanded the North Irish Horse, the Cheshire Yeomanry Squadron, founded by his ancestors, and the Queen's Own Yeomanry. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on 31 December 1994 and was appointed honorary colonel of the 7th Regt Army Air Corps (1 January 1996) and the Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps (30 November 1995). Promoted to

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

on 17 January 2000, he was also appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry on 14 May 2001. He was also appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Canadian Royal Westminster Regiment, the North Irish Horse, and as

Colonel Commandant Colonel commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive military rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels. Today, the holder often has an honor ...

Yeomanry. The Duke was Grand Prior of the Priory of England of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, 1995–2001. In 2004, he was appointed to the new post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets), with promotion in the rank of major-general. In March 2007, having served in the Ministry of Defence as Assistant CDS for four years, he handed over responsibility for 50,000 reservists and 138,000 cadets to Major General Simon Lalor, in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal in which Westminster was also implicated. The Duke became Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves) in May 2011. He retired from the Armed Forces in 2012.

Benevolent work for service personnel

The Duke was President of the BLESMA from 1992, and the Yeomanry Benevolent Fund from 2005, national Vice-President of the Royal British Legion from 1993, and the Reserve Forces' Ulysses Trust from 1995, the Not Forgotten Society from 2004, and Chairman of the Nuffield Trust for the Forces of the Crown from 1992, all until his death. He was Vice-President of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

Music Foundation 1990–94. In 2011, having already funded a feasibility study, the Duke purchased the estate at Stanford Hall,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, to make possible the creation of a Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) to provide the highest quality support for military casualties. Work started on the £300m project in April 2016, and was completed in 2018 to replace those at Headley Court. The Duke remained actively involved in the project until his death. He was Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute from 1993 until 2012, President of The Tank Museum, Bovington, from 2002, and a committee member of the National Army Museum between 1988–1997 and from 2013 until his death. He was one of the founding trustees on the creation of National Museums Liverpool in 1986. According to Tom Quinn, in his critical book ''The Reluctant Billionaire'', the sixth Duke mainly acted as figurehead for charities. He rarely gave large sums of money directly to the numerous charities he supported officially. It was only towards the end of his life that he set up a charity himself, to help injured servicemen. In a few years he spent 50 million pound to set up a rehabilitation centre: the DNRC. Quinn quotes the duke himself: 'In many ways I’m a perfect example of a person who is famous for being famous – I mean a sort of second-rate celebrity! I get invited to things not because I have achieved great things in life but I’m afraid just because I am a duke. I go along with it because what else is there for a duke to do? As I have said many times, we, the aristocracy, in practical terms, are an irrelevance in the modern world. We just cut ribbons, open supermarkets and look the part.'

Educational interests

Despite his poor educational attainments, Westminster was given several honorary degrees and fellowships (listed below) in later life and took an outward-looking interest in youth. He was Director of the International Students Trust from 1976 until 1993, Pro-Chancellor of

Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...

from 1986 until 1993, Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University from 1992 until 2002, and first appointed Chancellor of the University of Chester in 2005, serving until his death. He was a supporter of The Prince's Trust and was a committee member of the Trust and a Patron from 2001 for North West England.

Sports interests and conservation work

His main personal recreations were field shooting and fishing. He served as President of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust for 1987–2000 and Vice-President thereafter, President of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation from 1992 until 2000, and the Atlantic Salmon Trust from 2004 until his death. He was a member of the MCC and Royal Yacht Squadron and President of Worcestershire County Cricket Club in 1984–1986 and of the Youth Sports Trust 1996–2004. He was President of the committee planning the

2002 Commonwealth Games The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

from 1998, and from 1991 until 1994 had been Director of the committee set up to coordinate the projected 2000 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics that would have been held at Manchester had the British bid succeeded.

Other charities and organisations

*President, Scope (formerly the Spastics Society), 1982–2005 *President, National Kidney Research Fund, 1985–1997 *President, Royal National Institute for the Blind, 1986–2012 *President, North of England Zoological Society, 1987 until death *President, Drugs and Alcohol Foundation, 1987–1997 *Vice-President, Royal Society of St George, 1987 until death *President, Holstein UK & Ireland (formerly British Holstein Society), 1988 *Life Vice-President, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 1988 until death *President, Chester and District Scout Council, 1979 until death *President, Abbeyfield Society, 1989–1995 *President, Institution of Environmental Sciences, 1989–2013 *Director,

Business in the Community Business in the Community (BITC) is a British business-community outreach charity promoting responsible business, Corporate social responsibility, CSR, corporate responsibility, and is one of the The Prince's Charities, Prince's Charities of Cha ...

(BITC), 1991–1995 *Life Governor,

Royal Agricultural Society of England The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) promotes the scientific development of English agriculture. It was established in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science" and was known as the English Agricultural Society until it received i ...

*Committee member, North American Advisory Group, British Overseas Trade Board, 1994 *Committee member, Nuffield Hospitals, 1995 until death *Vice-President, Country Landowners' Association, 1999 until death *President, Life Education Centre (Drug Prevention), 2000–2012 *Vice-President, Royal Smithfield Club, 2004 until death *Foundation Chancellor of the University of Chester, 2005 until death *Patron, Cheshire County Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, until death He served as a judge in Prince Edward's charity television special '' The Grand Knockout Tournament'' in 1987.

Personal life

The 6th Duke of Westminster Allan Warren

The Duke of Westminster married Natalia Ayesha Phillips, the daughter of Lt-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife Georgina Wernher, in 1978. Their children are: * Lady Tamara Katherine Grosvenor (born 20 December 1979), married Edward van Cutsem (son of Hugh van Cutsem) on 6 November 2004. * Lady Edwina Louise Grosvenor (born 4 November 1981). She is a prison reformer and philanthropist, co-founding The Clink Restaurants. She married historian and television presenter

Dan Snow Daniel Robert Snow (born 3 December 1978) is a British Popular history, popular historian and television presenter. He is an ambassador of the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). Early life and education Born in Westminster, London Dan Snow is the ...

on 27 November 2010. * Hugh Grosvenor, 7th Duke of Westminster (born 29 January 1991). He is the godfather of Prince George of Wales and Prince Archie of Sussex. He married Olivia Henson on 7 June 2024 at Chester Cathedral * Lady Viola Georgina Grosvenor (born 12 October 1992), married Angus Roberts, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, in 2022. In 1998, the Duke suffered a

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

and had a severe depression, citing the overwhelming pressures of business and public life. In 2007 he was alleged of hiring escort girls. His name was mentioned in the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal. Tabloid newspapers suggested that the Duke of Westminster was one of the wealthy clients of the New York based Emperors Club VIP.

Death

The Duke died on 9 August 2016 at Royal Preston Hospital in Preston,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, after suffering a

at his Abbeystead Estate. A private funeral attended by close relatives was held on 12 August, and a memorial service was held at Chester Cathedral on 28 November. He is buried in the family plot at St Mary's Church, Eccleston. That the Grosvenor family stood to pay very little, if any,

inheritance tax International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and pro ...

on his £9 billion fortune led to calls for a review of how the inheritance of trust funds and similar assets are handled in the UK.

Honours

Orders

Other

* 1973 He received the Freedom of the City of Chester * 20 July 1981 He received the Freedom of the City of London * 29 March 1982 He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire (DL) * 1990 He received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from

. * 1990 He received an Honorary Fellowship from

Liverpool Polytechnic Liverpool John Moores University (abbreviated LJMU) is a public university, public research university in the city of Liverpool, England. The university can trace its origins to the Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts, established in 1823. This ...

* 1993 He received the Honorary Degree of

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

from Manchester Metropolitan University. * 14 March 2000 He received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from University of Salford *2000 He received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Chester * 2001 He received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire * 2013 He was awarded an

Honorary Degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

from

Harper Adams University Harper Adams University, founded in 1901 as Harper Adams College, is a public university located close to the village of Edgmond, near Newport, Shropshire, Newport, in Shropshire, England. Established in 1901, the college is a specialist provi ...

Honorary military appointments

*Honorary Colonel The Queen's Own Yeomanry *Honorary Colonel 7th Regt. Army Air Corps (1 January 1996 – 9 August 2016) *Honorary Colonel The Queen's Own Yeomanry (14 May 2001 – April 2014) *Colonel-in-Chief Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, BC, Canada *Honorary Colonel Yeomanry,

*Honorary Colonel Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps (30 November 1995 – 9 August 2016)

Arms

Ancestry

Bibliography

* Quinn, Tom ''The Reluctant Billionaire: The Tragic Life of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster'', Biteback Publishing 2017.

References

External links

*
Grosvenor Estate

Burke's PeerageInstitution of Environmental Sciences
by Hunter Davies

Public Speaking 2012-MIFFY] , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Westminster, Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of 1951 births 2016 deaths People from Omagh People educated at Harrow School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst People from Cheshire Burials in Cheshire 6 Knights of the Garter Companions of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Officers of the Order of the British Empire British billionaires Military personnel from County Tyrone British Army major generals Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster People associated with the University of Chester North Irish Horse officers Deputy lieutenants of Cheshire British Yeomanry officers Queen's Own Yeomanry officers Knights of Justice of the Order of St John Cheshire Yeomanry officers 20th-century British landowners English Anglicans National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people People educated at Sunningdale School

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...