THE Duke of Westminster celebrated his 60th birthday with a party for family and staff at his ancestral home on the outskirts of Chester.
Spokeswoman Jane Sandars said the duke, a major general in the Army, liked to ‘keep birthdays low-key’.
“He had a small party in celebration, with family and staff,” said Mrs Sandars, who confirmed the event took place at Eaton Hall, near Eccleston.
This year’s Sunday Times Rich List claimed Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster, had slipped one place but was still the fourth wealthiest person in Britain.
The 2011 list shows the duke, who is the richest British-born person, increased his fortune by £250m, with assets of £7bn.
He is a major general with 41 years’ experience in the Territorial Army and was appointed as Deputy Commander Army Reserves earlier this year.
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster have children Hugh, the Earl of Westminster, Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola.
Grosvenor Estate was recently given planning permission to erect specially-designed decorative gates at Eaton Hall to commemorate the birthdays of the duke and the earl.
Cheshire West and Chester Council granted approval for the pair of high quality, wrought iron gates, a ha-ha feature and a deer fence.
And Eaton Hall’s talented horticultural team paid their own birthday tribute when they created a garden at the RHS show at Tatton Park as an early present for the duke back in the summer.
The 14-strong team, led by Jan Lomas and Nicola Sweeting, won silver-gilt for their efforts.
