Duke of Westminster 2007

Duke of Westminster 

Rank : 3 Worth : £7,000m

The richest aristocrat in the United Kingdom, the Duke topped the Sunday Times Rich List as Britain's wealthiest individual for many years and was surpassed only in 2004 by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Duke of Westminster and Property

An estimated fortune of £7 billion ($14 billion) is derived largely from property in central London, where he owns approximately 300 acres (1.2 km²) of the most exclusive commercial and residential property in Mayfair and Belgravia (including the land on which the U.S. Embassy stands, in Grosvenor Square), as well as estates in Lancashire, Cheshire (Eaton Hall) and Scotland. In addition to managing its traditional holdings, the Duke's property company, the Grosvenor Group, is an active property developer with interests around the world. It is the main developer of The Paradise Project in Liverpool. The Duke is also president of a number of charities including The Institution of Environmental Sciences.

The Duke of Westminster and The Grosvenor Group 

The Duke of Westminster KG OBE TD DL, 55, stepped down as chairman of his Grosvenor Group property company in 2007. His portfolio includes estates in Lancashire and Cheshire, 300 London acres including Mayfair and Belgravia, and land in Scotland and Canada. Grosvenor profits rose 23% to £508m in 2006 and it manages assets of £11 billion. About 200 acres of Belgravia are held in family trusts, worth about £4 billion. Adding dividends, further property, land and art takes him to £7 billion.

His Grace recently retired as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Reserves and Cadets (ACDS R &C) in the rank of Major General, the first Reserve Officer to hold this rank since 1938. He is Colonel of RMLY (Royal Mercian & Lancastrian Yeomanry), Colonel Commandant of the Yeomanry and Honorary Colonel of the 7th Regiment Army Air Corps. He is also Colonel in Chief of the Royal Westminster Regiment, Vancouver.

He is a member of the Prince’s Council of the Duchy of Cornwall and is involved with and actively supports over 250 charities and other organisations.