He died on Tuesday afternoon at the Royal Preston Hospital in Lancashire.
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Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, who was estimated to be worth £8.3 billion, died at the Royal Preston Hospital in Lancashire after falling ill at his Abbeystead Estate this afternoon, a spokeswoman said.
The Duke of Westminster has died after he was suddenly taken ill on his northern Abbeystead Estate.
A spokesperson said this evening: “His family are all aware and they ask for privacy and understanding at this very hard time”.
Now his 25-year-old son, Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, is set to inherit his £9.35 billion ($13.32 billion) fortuneas the 7th Duke of Westminster – making him the richest person under the age of 30 in Britain.
He owns the Grosvenor family estate, which has 300 acres across west London, including in wealthy areas like Belgravia and Mayfair.
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke’s only son, immediately succeeds his father to the Dukedom of Westminster.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: ‘Her Majesty the Queen is aware of the news about the Duke of Westminster.
Prince Charles’ office said he and his wife Camilla were “deeply shocked and greatly saddened” by his death.
He became the sixth Duke of Westminster at 27, and later credited himself with using his vast wealth responsibly.
Of his wealth he once said: “Given the choice, I would rather not have been born wealthy, but I never think of giving it up”.
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Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge are all regular visitors to Grosvenor properties, and earlier this month William and Kate used the Duke’s private jet to fly to France for their summer holiday.
