The Duke of Westminster, one of the UK’s wealthiest landowners, has passed away aged 64.
Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor died at the Royal Preston Hospital in Lancashire on Tuesday after he was suddenly taken ill on his Abbeystead Estate.
From 2015: The man who spent a decade at the top of property’s Rich List
His property company Grosvenor has an estimated value of £9bn. Among properties across the UK he owned 190 acres in Belgravia, SW1, and Mayfair, W1.
Grosvenor, which also owns the Liverpool One complex, dates back to the 17th century. It also has substantial holdings in Scotland and continental Europe.
This year’s Sunday Times Rich list calculated his wealth at £9.35bn. Grosvenor reportedly added £37.7m to his wealth last year as the company paid its first dividend since 2010.
Wonderful self awareness from the late Duke of Westminster pic.twitter.com/kZ93AxyNFl
— Robert Peston (@Peston) August 10, 2016
knocking on my hard hat, smiling and telling me to "write nice things young man" at the topping out of SW1 office Dev in '02
— (((Adam Coffer))) 🇮🇱💔 (@adamcoffer) August 10, 2016
In a statement on its website, Grosvenor said: “It is with the greatest sadness that we can confirm that the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor died this afternoon at Preston Royal Infirmary.
“He was taken there from the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire where he had suddenly been taken ill. His family are all aware and they ask for privacy and understanding at this very difficult time.”
@BBCNews I worked for him, he was a gem! He will be missed by so many, he gave so much.
— AielloShort (@Cynthia_Short) August 9, 2016
George Downing, founder of the Downing property group in Liverpool, said: “It’s a very sad loss and all of us at Downing offer our condolences to his family. The Duke was a significant figure in the North West business community.
“His passion for our region was well known and his investments made an enormously positive impact on Liverpool in particular, reshaping the city.
“To meet, the Duke was a very pleasant, self-effacing character. He was careful in everything he did and was much respected for his decency. If you look at the work of his Westminster Foundation you can see a great deal of concern for lower income families. Poverty in the UK and youth homelessness were both very high on his agenda. He has left us far too soon but his legacy is a good one.”
We are profoundly shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of The Duke of Westminster. Our thoughts are with his family
— Westminster Property Association (@TheWPA) August 10, 2016
SEE ALSO: Ten years of the Duke of Westminster’s wealth
Do you have memories of the Duke of Westminster? Please send your thoughts and tributes to david.lindsell@estatesgazette.com
