Olivia Henson’s Romantic Wedding Dress & Tiara Secretly Reference Family History

To become the Duchess of Westminster in her June 7 marriage to Hugh Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster, Olivia Henson’s wedding dress needed all the romantic details befitting a royal (or rather, royal-adjacent) ceremony. The gown she ultimately chose by London-based bridal designer Emma Victoria Payne to marry before an guests including Prince William and Princess Eugenie had all the formality nuptials called the “high society wedding of the decade” required, plus several hidden and sentimental ties to both families.

Let’s start with the gown. Olivia Henson entered the Chester Cathedral from a vintage Bentley in an understated, yet memorable, wedding dress. The bespoke Emma Victoria Payne design featured three-quarter length sleeves and a bateau neckline at the front, flowing seamlessly into a skirt with a dramatic train.

Along the neckline and hems of her sleeves, Henson’s wedding dress featured touches of delicate floral lace. Vogue UK reported those subtle inclusions were intentional and steeped with meaning. The blossoms on her dress were actually a nod to the wedding veil Henson’s great-grandmother wore on her wedding day, a piece that was first crafted in the 1880s. (Talk about fashion history.)

Those touches of florals paired back to a stunning, dramatic veil that swept behind Henson for several feet behind her. In the back, her dress also featured a keyhole cut-out.

Olivia Henson also worked “something blue” into her wedding day look. A pair of pointed-toe blue heels in a deep indigo shade peeked out from beneath her skirt.

Allusions to decades of family wedding tradition weren’t the only special touches in Henson’s wedding day look. Atop her romantic bun, Henson wore the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara. It’s a poignant “something borrowed” for Henson to wear: This piece has been in her now-husband’s family since 1906 and was crafted specifically for Grosvenor brides to wear down the aisle, People reports.

The tiara’s design is comprised of laurel leaves coated in diamonds, with sprigs of tiny pearls set between them. It has been kept in the family vault for over 20 years: The last time the Faberge Myrtle Leaf Tiara made an appearance, Lady Tamara, the Duke of Westminster’s sister, wore it for her 2004 wedding to Edward van Cutsem at the same chapel.

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster’s love story began in 2021, when they met through mutual friends. The pair announced their engagement in 2023. Anticipation was high for their eventual union: Hugh Grosvenor is the richest man under 35 United Kingdom, with a net-worth of £9.878 billion after inheriting his father’s estate in 2016. He is also a longtime friend of both Princes William and Prince Harry (though the latter skipped the wedding ceremony, owing to ongoing tension with his immediate family). Meanwhile, Olivia Henson has fetched comparisons to Kate Middleton for her family’s similarly close ties to Britain’s aristocracy.