A headstone has been erected by the grave of the late sixth Duke of Westminster at St Mary’s Church, Eccleston.

The duke died following a heart attack aged 64 on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, during a visit to his Abbeystead shooting estate in Lancashire.

Just three days later he was buried in the Old Churchyard at St Mary’s, near the family seat of Eaton Hall, following a private service.

The late Duke of Westminster
The late Duke of Westminster

The headstone, erected within the last couple of weeks, features the duke’s title and full name, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, together with his coat of arms and dates of birth and death.

He is buried alongside his father, Lieutenant Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, the fifth Duke of Westminster.

The sixth duke was succeeded by his son and heir, Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke of Westminster, who is just 26-years-old.

It is believed Prince William and Kate stayed at Eaton Hall for the family’s annual bonfire and fireworks on Saturday, November 4, but it is not known whether the headstone was erected in time for their visit.

However, it is in place for when the late duke would have celebrated his 66th birthday on December 22.

The Grosvenor Estate, which represents the duke’s business interests, said last August that ‘a quiet, private funeral service’ was attended by close family members. A memorial service followed last November for the family, friends and wider community. It was attended by the late duke’s close friend Prince Charles and Camilla as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

With its many tall trees, St Mary’s Old Churchyard has features of a woodland. In its centre are the remains of Porden’s old parish church, which consist of a sandstone wall with the lower parts of two windows.

Hugh Earl Grosvenor
Hugh Grosvenor, seventh Duke of Westminster with his late father, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the sixth Duke of Westminster.

It is designated as a Grade II listed building. Along the south side of the remaining wall of Porden’s old church are the graves of the Dukes of Westminster, other members of the Grosvenor family and their relatives.

A square enclosure in the northeast part of the Old Churchyard, now covered with gravel and surrounded by a low wall with crosses in the corners, marks the spot where the Grosvenor family vault was located within Porden’s church.

The names of those ancestors of the Dukes of Westminster who are interred here are recorded on a brass plaque inside the present church building.