Corrie’s Jane Hazlegrove: ‘My wife and I still face homophobia every day – but I just smile’

Actress Jane is celebrating her 10th wedding anniversary with wife Isobel Middleton as the couple anticipated a second wedding on the Cobbles the following week as Bernie Winter knots with corner shop owner Dev Alahan.

In the most recent Corrie wedding, Bernie Winter and Dev Alahan propose in front of Bernie.

Even after meeting the love of her life, Coronation Street actress Jane Hazlegrove never imagined she’d ever tie the knot.

Jane and fellow actress Isobel Middleton fell in love after a chance meeting 30 years ago. But with same-sex weddings outlawed in Britain, their own big day seemed an impossible dream. Now the couple are preparing to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary and Jane admits it’s a day she could never have hoped for when she was younger.

“I love a wedding, but I never thought that I’d actually get to have my own big party, full of all the people that I love and lots of laughter”, she says.

It was both beautiful and unexpected. I’m still in shock and proud of how we did it, and I’m also proud of my love for Isobel. It’s my greatest achievement, regardless of the career.

“I just can’t believe that I can love this woman and lead a life without persecution and oppression,” she said. Yes, homophobia still occurs every day, but I just make an effort to educate and lead from the front.

Jane and fellow actress Isobel Middleton were married in 2015
Jane and fellow actress Isobel Middleton had their wedding in 2015

In 2019, Jane, the mother of twins Gemma and Paul, made her debut on Coronation Street.

And as she gets ready to celebrate her own wedding anniversary, Dev Alahan, the owner of Corner Shop, and Bernie are getting married on the big screen.

In the world of soap however, weddings rarely go according to plan. And with Bernie and Dev’s big day no exception, it remains to be seen whether the happy couple actually get to say ‘I do’.

First of all, Bernie’s quadrilateral grandchildren are unable to watch the wedding with their brother Joseph live on a stream. Then Bernie forgets her lucky charm locket, but when she runs home from the bistro to get it, she disturbs a burglar.

READ MORE: Watch moment Coronation Street star performs at Jack P Shepherd’s wedding

Everything at Bernie's wedding is in true soap fashion.
Everything at Bernie’s wedding is in true soap fashion.

” Everything goes wrong, “Jane laughs”. When she arrives at the wedding, she develops an allergy and collapses. At first, the quads become ill and are unable to attend. It is a pretty serious matter. She can’t breathe and she’s taken away to hospital in an ambulance. “

Jane can reveal what her character wears for her big day, which is not traditionally done in Bernie’s style, but she can’t reveal whether she will end up having a happy ending.

Elkie Brookes is a singer, and Jane explains, “I’m mad about her.” I adore her and have done since I was a nipper.

“I was watching a lot of stuff on the Old Grey Whistle Test about Elkie just before we started filming my screen wedding.” I thought, “That’s got to be Bernie’s wedding dress,” as she was sporting a rather stunning kaftan.

” So, I went down to our brilliant costume department and said: ‘ Can I please look like Elkie Brookes on acid? ‘ and that is what we have created!

Anyone who remembers the 1970s will want to watch it and say, “Oh my good Lord! The dress is white and it’s a bit Demis Roussos!” It’s exactly what I wanted and it looks brilliant. The costume department did a fantastic job, and I’m really pleased with what they came up with.

Jane, who grew up in Manchester, began acting at a young age and made her TV debut at 13 in the Yorkshire TV series The Book Tower.

 Bernie and Dev's wedding will be a huge Coronation Street event
Bernie and Dev’s wedding will be a huge Coronation Street event

Then, when she was 16 years old, she signed up for Coronation Street as Sue Clayton, where she spent a year. She has since worked on a number of other TV shows, most notably Casualty, where she spent eight years as the paramedic Kathleen Dixon.

She was thrilled to return to the cobbles 34 years as off-the-wall café worker Bernie, a character who has divided viewers, with many shocked over her poor mothering skills to Gemma, Paul and long-lost son Kit.

However, Jane claims that she has changed as a result of Bernie’s relationship with Dev. Dev and Bernie are “cheese and cheese,” she says, “but he’s just incredibly kind to her and I don’t believe Bernie has ever received much kindness from men.”

“Their relationship is not without problems, because she acts so impulsively through her heart and eventually it gets up to her brain, and he’s the opposite. It shouldn’t work on paper because he’s a huge deep thinker, but it does because of that.

In Derbyshire, Jane, 56, and Isobel, 58, spend time walking through the hills and savoring classic car passions. “I’ve got a 1969 MGC. She is lovely, and she makes me happy when I drive her.

She has been with me for 18 years. I called her Lulu because Lulu was No 1 when she came off the conveyor belt”.

Jane and wife Isobel met in 1995
Jane and wife Isobel met in 1995(Image: jane_hazlegrove/instagram)

The couple first met in 1995 when Jane appeared in the sold-out play Boom Bang-a-Bang at the London Bush Theatre. “It was directed by Kathy Burke and loads of big television people came to see it”, she recalls. One night, Isobel and Isobel saw it, and we exchanged words.

In 2010, the couple rekindled their relationship. Jane recalls: “Same-sex marriage wasn’t allowed for many years because we were two women, so we had a civil partnership.

It was amazing because I was all dressed up and wore a really nice frock to the ceremony in Bristol.

Because Isobel had been ill, we made the decision. She was in London and I was in Bristol working on Casualty, and I wasn’t allowed to know anything about what was going on with her operations and hospital treatment. Despite having been in a relationship for ten years, we were only seen as her friend. They couldn’t tell me, either. So, we did the civil partnership because we thought, ‘ no-one can touch us then’.

Five years later, the wedding took place at a Bristol register office. I initially opposed doing it. I didn’t want to do it just because the government now said we could. I’ve never been a gang member; instead, I see myself as a person who doesn’t fit in.

“So we simply went and did it ourselves, without telling anyone. All we had to do was take a gas bill and upgrade! Really romantic Then, we made a curry with six of our friends.

Jane feels strongly that gay men and women around the world should enjoy the same rights and happiness as she does, and she is a passionate member of All Out, a global political campaign group fighting for LGBT+ rights around the world.

Soap stars Jane and Isobel have been married for 10 years
Soap stars Jane and Isobel have been married for 10 years(Image: @barnaclebelle/Twitter)

She claims that Gay Pride has been outlawed in Hungary this year. “Visibility is key. Because someone has decided it’s unacceptable, there are many men and women like me who are unable to spend time with their loved ones. That is simply disgusting.

While Jane has made her name at Coronation Street, wife Isobel works on the other side of the Pennines in Emmerdale, where she plays village detective DI Roberts.

She also appeared on the cobbles in a cameo as feminist author Persephone Braxton, who published a book in Roy’s Rolls in 2022.

She was having none of it, Jane laughs back as she enters to serve as her chaperone for the day. “She was in the café chatting with Ken Barlow and there was a fight when Tracy comes in and catches him with his mistress.

“I regret not working that day.” I don’t believe her character would have liked Bernie very much, which is probably true.

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*For further information on All Out’s work and campaigns go to: allout.org

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Jack P. Shepherd heads on honeymoon with wife as he pokes fun over accommodation

The newlyweds are currently on their honeymoon in the United States. Coronation Street star Jack P. Shepherd wed content creator Hanni Treweek over the weekend at the Manchester Catherdral.

Newlyweds Jack P. Shepherd and Hanni Treweek are enjoying their honeymoon after tying the knot over the weekend. The Coronation Street star and his wife have headed away for some quality time together after the special occasion.

Jack, 37, and Hanni got married in Manchester on Saturday, with a host of celebrity pals, including Colson Smith and Helen Worth, among the guests in attendance. The couple exchanged vows at Manchester Cathedral after having got engaged whilst on a holiday in Tanzania last summer.

Content creator Hanni shared on Instagram this morning that she was heading away with her husband following the nuptials. She posted a photo of a plane sat on a runway at an airport and wrote: “Some quality time with my husband.”

Jack was tagged in the post by Hanni, but she kept her name a secret about their honeymoon destination. Since then, Jack has since posted footage from the vacation in a post this afternoon, giving fans a window into the experience itself.

Jack P. Shepherd has given fans a glimpse into his honeymoon with Hanni Treweek this week(Image: jackpshepherd88/Instagram)

Jack, who has played David Platt on the ITV soap since 2000, shared a video that showed waves along a coastline. Stood with his wife on a platform above the water, he told his followers: “Little choppy today. A few broken plates.”

Then he showed Hanni, who had windswept hair in the video, standing next to him. She remarked, “A little too much chop”! Before returning to the water, Jack continued to show furniture on the couple’s deck.

The actor appeared to be making references to the 1985 movie The Goonies. In the video message, he stated, “William’s Cave, where all the gold is kept.” Then, before laughing and apologizing, Jack showed a tower further down the coast, stating, “That’s my room there. Where will I be staying?

Jack P. Shepherd's wife Hanni Treweek stood, with windswept hair and in sunglasses, with the sea behind her on their honeymoon.
The actor shared footage of them at the coast on their holiday following their wedding(Image: jackpshepherd88/Instagram)

The most recent updates following their wedding over the weekend are Jack and Hanni’s respective posts about their honeymoon. In a joint post that was posted to the platform yesterday, the newlyweds expressed their gratitude for the occasion.

They also emailed “Introducing Mr &amp, Mrs. Shepherd” along with photos from their wedding. Words cannot adequately express how wonderful and perfect yesterday was for us. The energy and love that permeated the space (as well as the outside) was incredible.

Plane at an airport.
Hanni had previously teased that they were heading on a flight for the trip(Image: hannitreweek/Instagram)

They continued the caption of their post by writing in the message to their followers on the weekend: “Our hearts our truly full. Thank you so much to you all – it means the world to us.” Jack and Hanni added: “Love is all you need.”

The couple continued, “It took a whole team, a team we couldn’t be happier with,” adding that “we are literally in awe of how talented you all are.” Then, they tagged their florist and photographer as well as other vendors.

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UNICEF ambassador David Beckham finally breaks silence on Gaza as he backs ceasefire

After months of silence, former footballer David Beckham shared a post calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.

David Beckham has shared a post calling for a ceasefire(Image: AP)

David Beckham has finally spoke out about the conflict between Israel and Palestine after months of remaining silent. The football icon, 50, is an ambassador for UNICEF, who last year called for a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and launched an appeal for the children of Gaza.

He failed to share a post from UNICEF UK to his millions of followers about their flagship appeal in 2024. David was among the almost half of the organisation’s high profile supporters who hadn’t shared a post.

The England sports star for the first time ever shared a post with UNICEF in March of this year. After months of silence, David has now publicly reacted by sharing another image from the organization.

David Beckham UNICEF post
David shared a post from UNICEF after months of silence(Image: davidbeckham/instagram)

UNICEF stated in a post that David liked and shared that UNICEF “welcomes the announcement by Israel to implement most urgently needed humanitarian pauses to increase access to aid in and across Gaza.

Children have been deprived of the basic necessities to survive since the ceasefire’s demise in March. They lack a safe place to go because they are frightened and traumatized. Gaza’s population, which is more than 2 million people, is severely undernourished. One in three people has been starving for days, and 80% of all deaths have been caused by starvation are reported as children.

“This is a chance to start reversing this catastrophe and rescuing lives.” UNICEF has delivered consistently, it continued. However, we can do much more if commercial trucks and designated humanitarian corridors are constructed to facilitate our convoy movements. UNICEF provided nutrition supplies for 147 trucks inside Gaza in July, including milk, high-energy biscuits, and baby food.

We are prepared to increase this figure, ensure that more life-saving aid is delivered to Gaza on time, and offer hope to a depleted population.

UNICEF calls for a ceasefire, the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid across Gaza, the protection of children, and the release of all hostages so that their loved ones can visit them.

David Beckham UNICEF post
He previously shared a UNICEF message in March(Image: davidbeckham/instagram)

On his own post, David tagged UNICEF but added no further comment to his 88.3million followers. His previous silence prompted backlash over how he responded different to Gaza and Ukraine.

He handed over control of his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor working in the city of Kharkiv in March 2022, to highlight how Russia’s invasion was impacting the country’s pregnant women and children.

The same month, the football legend and his wife Victoria Beckham donated £1 million to a UNICEF appeal to support Ukrainian children affected by the devastating conflict.

David, who was a Qatar 2022 World Cup ambassador, has been accused of being less explicit regarding where he stands when it comes to the plight of Palestinian people.

Other celebrities who remained silent about UNICEF’s Protect Children in the Gaza crisis appeal included Robbie Williams, Tom Hiddleston, Cat Deeley, Charley Boorman, Claudia Schiffer, David Harewood, Lord David Puttnam, Emma Bunton, James Nesbitt, Jessie Ware and Martin Bell.

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Olivia Coleman, Michael Sheen, Ewan McGregor, Gemma Chan, Jemima Khan, Levison Wood, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sir Chris Hoy, Muzoon Almellehan, Sir Andy Murray, Suzy Eddie Izzard and Ramla Ali all called for a ceasefire.

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Celebrity SAS contestant ‘quit hours into filming’ before making huge life decision

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns next week for its latest series on Channel 4 and among the line-up for the TV show is former S Club member Hannah Spearritt

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns next month for its new series(Image: Channel 4)

One of the celebrity contestants on the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, which launches next week, reportedly dropped out just hours into the experience. The news comes after the line-up was announced last week.

Fourteen celebrities were enlisted for the Channel 4 show’s latest series, which was filmed in Wales. It’s teased that the contestants will take part in “the most gruelling phase” of Special Forces selection over the eight episodes, with the upcoming series set to launch next weekend.

The line-up includes former S Club member Hannah Spearritt, 44. She’s understood to have filmed for the show prior to relocating to Costa Rica earlier this year, with the singer now living an “uninhibited” life in the jungle.

She was said to have faced a “sequence of setbacks” prior to relocating abroad. In 2023, she was said to have faced homelessness and dropped out of S Club’s reunion tour that same year. Her departure from the tour came after bandmate Paul Cattermole’s death weeks prior and Hannah said that her health contributed to the decision.

It’s now been reported this week that Hannah’s experience on Celebrity SAS proved to be the “final straw” before she moved abroad. It’s claimed that she quit on the first day after hoping it would “turn things around for her”.

Hannah Spearritt, in green camouflage attire, stood on a beach.
Hannah Spearritt is said to have dropped out of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on the first day(Image: Channel 4)

A source told the Daily Mail that Hannah had “pretty much exhausted” her connections in the industry before her move to Costa Rica. They said that she no longer speaks to her bandmates and has “shut herself off” from the industry.

They added that the “final straw” came when she took part in Celebrity SAS. The source told the outlet: “Hannah truly believed that a stint on one of the hardest and most gruelling shows could turn things around for her.”

However, it’s claimed that Hannah struggled with the experience on the reality TV show. The source said: “But sadly she just couldn’t hack it and walked on the first day.” They then concluded by saying: “It was all rather embarrassing.”

She spoke about her hopes for the show in a statement released by Channel 4 last week when the line-up was announced. She said: “I hope to take out of this experience, strength. I want to feel stronger again, mentally and physically, because there’s always improvement there.”

Hannah Spearritt leaning against a balcony overlooking a forest.
She took part in the Channel 4 show prior to relocating to Costa Rica(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

Hannah, who has two children, added: “There are always dips that happen along the way with motherhood or whatever but I think when you just experience different stuff, it changes you. I have no idea what to expect, but I do know it will be an experience and it’s something that I will have for life.”

She said: “However the experience goes, I am going to learn about myself. Maybe I’ll find out I am a bit of a mess or I might find out that I’m stronger than I think I am … it’s finding out things about yourself that you would never, ever find out. We live in this world where it’s so easy to live in our comfort zone, so this is an opportunity to get outside of that and … for me anyway, growth and expansion is one of the most important things, and that is something that hopefully I can pass on to my kids.”

Since taking part in the show, Hannah has relocated to Costa Rica with her husband Adam Thomas and their two children. Earlier this year, she teased that she was embracing a “new beginning” after having left the UK just months prior.

Hannah Spearritt sat on a rock by a stream with her kids beside her in a woodland.
She’s shared updates from her new life abroad with her family in recent months(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

Hannah confirmed in January that she had arrived at her new home, writing: “Well … we finally made it to paradise. Beautiful country, beautiful people.” She’s continued to share updates since then and her bio on Instagram reads: “Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life.”

In one of her first posts after relocating, which was shared in February, Hannah said that the area had helped her “recover from a challenging year”. She made the comment alongside photos including one of her beside her kids on a walk.

She wrote in the caption: “Morning walks down to the waterfall… trying to keep up with the little legs! I’m putting together a little reel of this magical place that has really helped me recover from a challenging year and I’ll put the link in with it so you can enjoy it too if u like.”

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From August 3, the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins can be streamed or watched live every Sunday and Monday from 9pm on Channel 4.

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Celebrity SAS contestant ‘quit hours into filming’ before making huge life decision

Hannah Spearritt, a former S Club member, is one of the cast members for the TV show. The latest episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins will air on Channel 4 the following week.

Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins returns next month for its new series(Image: Channel 4)

One of the celebrity contestants on the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, which launches next week, reportedly dropped out just hours into the experience. The news comes after the line-up was announced last week.

Fourteen celebrities were enlisted for the Channel 4 show’s latest series, which was filmed in Wales. It’s teased that the contestants will take part in “the most gruelling phase” of Special Forces selection over the eight episodes, with the upcoming series set to launch next weekend.

The line-up includes former S Club member Hannah Spearritt, 44. She’s understood to have filmed for the show prior to relocating to Costa Rica earlier this year, with the singer now living an “uninhibited” life in the jungle.

She was said to have faced a “sequence of setbacks” prior to relocating abroad. In 2023, she was said to have faced homelessness and dropped out of S Club’s reunion tour that same year. Her departure from the tour came after bandmate Paul Cattermole’s death weeks prior and Hannah said that her health contributed to the decision.

This week, it has been reported that Hannah’s Celebrity SAS experience served as her “final straw” before her move abroad. It is claimed that she resigned on the first day in an effort to “turn things around for her.”

Hannah Spearritt, in green camouflage attire, stood on a beach.
Hannah Spearritt is said to have dropped out of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on the first day(Image: Channel 4)

Before her move to Costa Rica, Hannah had “pretty much exhausted” her connections in the industry, according to a source close to Hannah. They claimed that she has “shut herself off” from the industry and is no longer communicating with her bandmates.

The “final straw” was when she participated in Celebrity SAS, they continued. “Hannah truly believed that a stint on one of the most difficult and grueling shows could change things for her,” the source told the outlet.

However, it is claimed that Hannah on the reality TV show struggled with the experience. She reportedly walked on the first day, but sadly she was unable to hack it. Then they said, “It was all pretty embarrassing.

She described her hopes for the program in a statement released by Channel 4 last week. She expressed her desire to draw strength from this experience. Because there is always improvement, I want to feel more powerful, both mentally and physically.

Hannah Spearritt leaning against a balcony overlooking a forest.
She took part in the Channel 4 show prior to relocating to Costa Rica(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

Hannah, who has two children, said: “There are always bumps in the road to motherhood or whatever, but I believe it changes when you just go through it.” Although I have no idea what to expect, I am certain that it will be a lifelong experience.

She said: “However the experience goes, I am going to learn about myself. Maybe I’ll find out I am a bit of a mess or I might find out that I’m stronger than I think I am … it’s finding out things about yourself that you would never, ever find out. We live in this world where it’s so easy to live in our comfort zone, so this is an opportunity to get outside of that and … for me anyway, growth and expansion is one of the most important things, and that is something that hopefully I can pass on to my kids.”

Since taking part in the show, Hannah has relocated to Costa Rica with her husband Adam Thomas and their two children. Earlier this year, she teased that she was embracing a “new beginning” after having left the UK just months prior.

Hannah Spearritt sat on a rock by a stream with her kids beside her in a woodland.
She’s shared updates from her new life abroad with her family in recent months(Image: hannahspearrit/Instagram)

Hannah confirmed in January that she had arrived at her new home, writing: “Well … we finally made it to paradise. Beautiful country, beautiful people.” She’s continued to share updates since then and her bio on Instagram reads: “Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life.”

Hannah claimed that the area had helped her “recover from a challenging year” in one of her first posts following her relocation, which was shared in February. She made the comment alongside photos of her and her children going for walks.

She attempted to follow the little legs down to the waterfall in the morning, according to the caption. I’m putting together a short reel of this wonderful place that has really helped me through a difficult year, and I’ll include the link so you can enjoy it as well.

Continue reading the article.

Every Sunday and Monday at 9 p.m. on Channel 4, the new series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins can be streamed or watched live.

This story, do you like? Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads for more latest news and gossip.

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Prince William’s billionaire pal welcomes baby who will bare brunt of controversial rule

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster, who are close friends with William and Harry, have shared the name they have given their newborn daughter

Hugh Grosvenor, a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, has welcomed his first child(Image: Getty Images)

Prince William and Harry ’s billionaire friend has announced the birth of a baby daughter, sharing the sweet name they have given the newborn. Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, welcomed the tiny tot and announced that the little girl’s name is Cosima Florence Grosvenor.

After revaling they were expecting their first child back in March, the couple announced the birth of their daughter in a statement, saying the baby was born in London, adding: “Both the Duchess and Cosima are doing well. The Duke and Duchess now look forward to spending this special time together as a family.”

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster have welcomed their first child(Image: PA)

Cosima is of Greek and Italian origin. The name carries a beautiful, elegant meaning and is derived from the Greek word kosmos (κόσμος), which means order, harmony, or the universe.

Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor and his wife Olivia married last year, after they met in 2021. The duke, one of the UK’s biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie.

William acted as an usher at the Duke’s wedding in Chester Cathedral in June last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother.

When the couple tied the knot, Olivia became the new Duchess of Westminster, which, in turn, garnered attention on any titles their children would inherit . As it stood when they wed, any offspring would be affected by a centuries-old rule that also led to Hugh inheriting the immense Grosvenor fortune, estimated at £10bn.

Peerages only pass down the male line (known as male primogeniture), which means that the peerage can only be inherited by a male relative.

Hugh with pal Prince William
Hugh with pal Prince William (Image: Getty Images)

Therefore, the Duke and Duchess’s new daughter, under the current laws, will not be entitled to inherit the Westminster title, nor the family fortune and estate that goes with it.

Instead, she will be styled as Lady, and if they have any more children, with one being a son, they would be known as Earl Grosvenor until he inherits the dukedom.

The same rule also directly impacted Hugh, who has two older sisters, Lady Tamara and Lady Edwina Grosvenor. When their father, Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, died in 2016, the family title went to Hugh, his third child and only son.

Hugh, who was once considered one of England’s most eligible bachelors, became a billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016.

His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool’s One shopping centre.

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In 2020, the duke donated £12.5 million to the UK’s Covid-19 relief effort including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.