The birth of the Duke of Westminster’s daughter has reignited a long-standing debate over aristocratic inheritance laws.
Hugh Grosvenor and his wife, Olivia, recently embraced parenthood as they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Cosima Florence Grosvenor.
The baby girl was born on July 27, with her arrival announced in a statement from the couple on the same day.
Born into a fortune, she is the child of one of the UK’s most affluent noble families.
As his father, the Duke, Hugh Grosvenor, has a wealth around £10billion along with fortune based on lands and property.
After the birth of Cosima, the speculations ignited, whether she could be in line to inherit her father’s titles and estate.
In 2016, when Hugh became the 7th Duke of Westminster he inherited the title and fortune from his father, the 6th Duke, as he’s his only son and heir.
But as Wendy Bosberry-Scott, editor of Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, explained, the dukedom cannot be inherited through the female line.
“The dukedom of Westminster can only be passed down the male line, so it currently has no heir,” she told Hello!.
She added, “The Duke and Duchess [of Westminster] will need to produce a son for the titles to survive. Unless there is a change in the law, Lady Cosima will not inherit her father’s titles.”
Meanwhile, a source close to the couple also disclosed that the family firmly focused on their new life as a family of three.
They said, “The issue of titles and primogeniture is a matter for Government and parliament, and isn't something the Duke and Duchess would comment on, certainly not at this stage,” adding, "They're just looking forward to spending time with their daughter as a family.”
Notably, Hugh Grosvenor and his wife, Olivia Henson married in June 2024 at Chester Cathedral.
