COMMENT: Are you familiar with The Grosvenors and their immense influence within British society? And - is there another hugely powerful family you’d like us to cover here at Old Money Luxury?
I was a roofing contracter on Buildings owned or controlled by the Grosvenor Estate. I was paid on time and in full. The quality they stipulated was of the highest specification. I have nothing but praise for their business practices. BRS Ltd .
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that. It's always good to hear from someone who actually worked for Aristocrats. That gives one the REAL picture of what they're all about.
This has always been the case. If you look at the buildings created on their estates, even for humble laborers, they are build to the highest standards. It is part of the ethos of Noblesse Oblige.
When you own everything and will always own everything ...you require the best quality and services at the highest degree because everybody but you will continue to pay the cost of everything. It's business as usual. To say long live the queen that means even the fool of her courts will be taken care of: a guarantee that the peasants are free for labor.
I met Hugh Grosvenor once when i was the design engineer on a project in one of his properties, and was asked to explain the engineering details to him. He's instantly likeable, intelligent, humorous and humble. He had an instant grasp of what i was explaining. Within about 10 seconds I forgot that i was talking to one of the most powerful people in the country and felt as though i was simply talking to another engineer. I'm not easily impressed by peoples character, but that young guy is quietly impressive in person.
He was also savagely anti any green groups or animal rights groups. Absolutely happy as a pig in mud, to cheat on his wife so often, that it is pointless to try to count.
@@georgielancaster1356 *He was also savagely anti any green groups or animal rights groups* Are you suggesting he wants to destroy the environment and animals? *Absolutely happy as a pig in mud, to cheat on his wife so often, that it is pointless to try to count* 50% of marriages fail, what is it you're trying to say?
@@georginaddd Bit of a pointless exercise, but at a guess I'd say he's about 7ft 14, give or take the odd yard. Or I could look up on Google how tall a guy I met once ten years ago is. So what's your point?
I worked on the Eaton Estate many years ago just as Gerald Grosvenor inherited and along with other members of staff were invited to his wedding celebrations, spoke to him one to one on many an occasion, and found to be a truely down to earth man despite the wealth. Just one other thing, my daughter owns and resides in a beautiful Old Rectory desinged by John Douglas (Chester) built and donated to the Church by Hugh Lupus the First Duke of Westminster,
My old boss 😄 I used to work as non residential caretakers on Eaton Sq a few years back hands down the best job I ever had . And the family where so down to earth , I used to talk with her Grace on a regular basis and was one of the only caretakers allowed in her property and Hugh was a gentleman all the time . Man I miss that job 😔 but such is life.
I lived in Chester for in 2019/2020, the area is incredibly well maintained, and they provide much employment for the people in the area through contracting on maintenance etc on their properties. Eaton is a beautiful estate, I drove past it almost daily for quite some time. I dislike the entitlement and concept of family money, but as people I think this current generation of the Grosvenor family are pretty alright.
Their family sounds like a force for good. The amount they put back into society and investments into bettering our way of living they deserve the success they have.
Sounds convincing , though when I think back the last few years at Andrews friendship with an elite sex trafficker / smuggler I question Lady grovsners cause ! Does she support American prisons / prisoners too ?
I used to work for them and can say they we're absolutely fantastic to work for the Duchess and the current Duke always made time to have a genuine conversation and were so down to earth unless you knew who they were you wouldn't know there status from just looking .
@@Bigmanstyling101 My father in law would beg to differ, as he was in their employ for several years, he said they were rude, arrogant, snide reprobates.
That literally blew my mind, as a Brit I'd heard the name Grovesnor, but never realised who it was associated with! Thanks for such an informative video!
I have met both Gerald and a very young Hugh, whilst out shooting, ( I was picking up) both were extremely nice and very down to earth. Honest, lovely family as far as I am concerned
This voice is fantastic, it is a real pleasure to listen. Not difficult to understand english language for somebody who is not mother tongue . Thank you , you make a great service not only from the historycal point of view but in teaching your language.
@@oldmoneyluxury I apologize for my poor english and as sometime I see my mistakes after sending the comment , I try to correct myself in modifying it.
I am totally taken by your statement that the Grosvenors are invested in Anicis Island, British Columbia, Canada! My family passed by the Island so many times travelling the highway. I will continue to watch these videos as we are never too old to learn past and present history. 🇨🇦
As a Mexican viewer, I’d like to see you do a video on the family of Carlos Slim Helú, Mexico’s richest man who at one time unseated Bill Gates as the richest man in the world between 2010 and 2013. His present fortune exceeds 98 billion dollars. It’s hard here in México to do anything without putting money in his pocket. México is much more than tequila, tacos and drug cartels.
I first heard of the Duke of Westminster when I was teenager and beginning to take an interest in politics. My old dad said that if I really wanted to know what was going on, find out what the Duke of Westminster was up to. In our village we still knew about touching the forelock.
Their Ancestors earned it, and I myself born in the Westend, I have never heard anything but the highest praise from anyone who worked with or for them.
I love that they are willing to do good for the society, not just spend their money on luxuries! This is a family I would love to see continue to prosper, and would be happy for my daughter to marry into!! New money may be Silver, but Old money like these are definitely gold.
They owe 2bn quid in inheritance tax but the tax man goes after Betty who’s on the hobble for 200 quid a month. They are filth, they hate the poor and worship Satan. Prove me wrong folks
I met Earl Grosvenor when i was 21 at university he was a very young looking 31 at the time. I asked him how he got on in London as a single man. He explained that he was actually married before he inherited and that he never expected to inherit as his uncle died at 60 and his father died at 68 he inherited young. When I met him he was constantly smoking but he had great charm. He died an eyeblink later at the age of 64. In later years he suffered from depression as he though every one believed he had an easy life by inheriting so much money at an early age. He took solace in his position in the Army Reserves as something he did in his own right. After being caught out in a call girl scandal he looked an unhappy figure and died very young as his father and uncle before him. Now we have a new Earl I do not envy him in the slightest. The weight and responsibility of his inheritance is a very heavy weight to bear.
I dare say that there are constant verbal attacks on his character & the Integrity of his Companies, (especially since he & his Family have been so Loyal to the Crown) Such is usually the case with the Extremely Wealthy. There is always someone rising up to try to accuse & take down their Empires, bc of their Immense Power.
I love your videos about those « hidden » old money family. I would love to see one about the Eaton family. Also, as a Canadian, I would love to see one about old money families in Canada.
I'm working in Belgravia in one of building which owned by the Grosvenor. And i'm all time wondering how rich they are, as i knew they owned almost all luxury building in that area 🙈 And the resident of my ambassador is one of the building that I really adored, every single detailed, and the stairs is indeed masterpiece!!!!!!
What a wonderful enjoyable story about the Old Money & its families. Kudos to their extraordinary sense of timing & opportunistic moves to continue their amass of wealth and it's protection. Better than a movie, thank you for the historical entertainment.
This is the content I have waited for! I knew the Grovenors were huge landowners in the UK but was unaware of their American holdings. Thanks for the look at the good and bad of their legacy 😊
Reputedly they said, when the U.S foreign office wanted to buy the house and land their old embassy was situated in/on, that ”yes of course, as long as we get back our lands in the U.S that were taken because of the American revolution”, tongue in cheek of course. Didn’t go down that well with the americans, wich might be partly why they moved the embassy…
Doubt that was the reason the embassy moved as I recall the US got something like a 900-year lease on the property. I also recall the sellers wanted Miami back. (I'd have thrown in the rest of the state, but the ensuing ill-will the Brits would have felt probably would have caused issues.)
I'd like to see a video on the familial relationship between the Spencers, the Churchills, and the Washingtons. A little nugget of history the Americans don't know about. Thanks for a great video with a perfect narrator.
Was the narrator AI generated? Certain inflection on English words gave me pause for thought. Even so, I agree the content and narration was excellent.
The Windsors marry into the House of Grosvenor and the House of Spencer to align themselves with old power and old aristocracy--not the other way around.
I dont think you know how monarchy or aristocracy works. The saxe cobourg gotha have been rich throughout history and were powerful figures colonizing Britain. They only changed the name to windsor during world War 2 in order to distance themselves from the german roots. All aristocracy are related in some way.
I worked on the refurbishment of Eaton hall for the designer John Stefanidis. Part of the works included the removal from site of the main entrance gates for refurbishment. When the gates were reinstated one of our joiners drove his car into them. He was very short sighted but refused to wear glasses and, when asked what had happened, he explaind that the gates had not been there the previous week when he had last driven onto the estate.
@@soniarichardson1566 Hello, What does this mean? Good for who? Share what? and who/what is the 'poor end homeless'? I am very confused and have spent too long trying to understand.
There are various families in UK like this - but who would want the responsibility - like playing monopoly but you own the board I did live in one of their houses Wimpole St - they actually ran the estate very well - well maintained safe, as long as you paid the fees no problems - in fact without these families London wouldnt be what it is - lovely architecture, areas of green good hotels business areas -
William the Conqueror explains old money attitude with that pedigree. His legacy was profiled recently on CZcams so I sent it to my great-nephew William who, thru happenstance stands to inherit much, including land, thru at least 4 relatives. What’s in a name? Thank you.
The Grosvenor's could at one time ride from their home base in Chester to London without leaving their own lands, how did they get it? Their ancestors invaded England with William the Conqueror and they as most of England's old aristocracy today are of Norman descent who acquired their lands after William took them from the defeated Saxons. Also, since the Norman conquest like the members of England's royal family's they are always said to be English, when they were not. As the old saying goes it's the victors who write the history.
@@jeanlefranc3817 The Normans weren't French they were Vikings who lived in Normandy which has since become part of France. The Normans also invaded Ireland and started Irelands long tragedy, and no it wasn't an Anglo-Norman invasion as the English weren't involved, it was just the Normans.
@@louise_rose So we have now gone from the English to the British. The Conqueror was a Norman, of Norse descent, Scandinavian descent. England's Kings were for hundreds of years after the Norman ones were only Kings in England but Dukes in what is now France, England was only one of their possessions not a country in its own right. History is not a pleasant place to go whether on an ego trip or to grind an axe as very few countries do not have a dark chapter in their history. As the biblical saying goes, let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
@@petefl1818 "Hard luck, Englishman!" 😃 (I'm from Sweden, an original Viking country, and one of the few countries whose modern-day land has never been invaded by England or Britain)
Absolutely fascinating in general . I have always had the utmost respect for the Grosvenor Family - Duke of Westminster , over the years that I have been acquainted with the family they have always been low key going about their business quietly .
I grew up knowing about them and my parents always had the utmost respect for the family and apparently they always treated their tenants well and ensured that the fabric of their homes was well maintained (I think the company dad worked for did a lot of consulting work for the family).
How do people have tespect for people they font know have never met and are only going by what has been written about them by people who under obligation to shine only light on them leaving out the known darkness these gruops are involved in😂😂😂
I am familair with them, I heard of the youngest one some times ago. It's really impressive the amount of properties they own and the quality of it. Thanks for sharing such content!
The name extends as far as the old colonies; I remember The Grosvenor Hotel in Nairobi ... since acquired by the State for the DoD but the name will always be a part of Kenyan history.
They have done more for their native North West than any London government ever has. They own large swathes of Lancashire too. The late Queen, had a house near their estate in Lancashire and secretly went there when she wanted peace. The late King George the 6th bought the house when he was Duke of York and was going to move there but then he became King, unexpectedly. It is well-documented that it was the Queen’s favourite place.
If you are looking at land and property ownership in central London you need to look at the Grosvenor, Howard de Walden and Portman families, and also at Hyde Park Estate (Church Commissioners), Shaftesbury Capital and the Crown estate.
When living in London as an student 12 years ago I walked and walked all central London, the westend, the East End and more. Always asking my self about the history and owners on those portions of the city as well as those properties in the City of London and all the Chelsie area. Thanks for this video.
The new American Embassy in Battersea on the south side of the Thames is on American owned land now. Selling the lease on the old Grosvenor Square property pretty much paid for the new embassy. The new embassy also helped to spark a regeneration in a depressed area, bringing new businesses and residences to the area. ❤
There is no 'American' named country of which I know as there are two continents and many countries. One of which is The United States OF America, which is not united nor America.
@dalenbickenbach9533 And what are people from the United States of America Called, those same people, the owners of that embassy? Pray tell what would they be called anywhere in the world you go? Would Americans be the only ones with the name America in their name? While there are 2 "American Continents" North and South there is but one America.
They own vast tracts of Australia and large parts of Hawaii. When Gerald got married, he had his honeymoon in Australia on one of his properties. He claimed it was a business trip for tax purposes. Gerald’s father was wounded in WWII. Sometime later he contracted cancer which eventually killed him. The family succesfully argued that the cancer came on as a result of his wounds from the war, so when he died, no inheritance tax was due. Lucky that !
I met Lady Edwina Grosvenor through her work with prison reform. She was really nice, low key and down to earth. She seemed really normal, which is not what I associate with people from extreme wealth. I see Walden House on my commute to work, its now boarded up, so they won and all families have been booted out to make way for a "new development"
Went to the same school as the grosvenor's even had the same history teacher for A-levels. Only ever heard good stories and anecdotes, the same cannot be said for the myriad of russians and emiratis.
How about just a non ogliarch? I highly think it reeks of audacity for anyone from England speaking negatively of someone owning land in other countries....your own history disputes the sentiment...
Through his mother, Natalia Phillips, the current Duke of Westminster is a descendant of most european royal houses (Russia, Prussia, Baden, Sweden, Denmark, Nassau, etc). He is also a direct and legitimate descendant of King George II of Great Britain. It is old money indeed!
Natalia Philips’s maternal grandmother was the morganatic daughter of the Grand Duke Michael M of Russia and Natalia is a direct descendant of Alexander Pushkin and Abram Gannibal an enslaved Eritrean nobleman that Peter the Great freed and adopted , when Abram was a child .
A lot of these aristocrats are descended from warriors aren’t they? Knights and such, and from what I know a lot of them still maintain a military tradition of sons joining the armed forces
His ancestor fought at the battle of Hastings his colours are in the stained glass windows of battle abbey as all of the Norman Knights who fought that day. His name derived from french meaning Big Hunter
Yes. In the old days there were no national armed forces, and monarchs had to raise their own army in order to defend the country and also to invade France. Knights who fought well in service of the monarch were rewarded with titles and land. The Victorian tradition for the landed gentry was that the first son inherited and ran the family estate, the second son went into the army, and the third son (if any) went into the church.
It may help explain the landed gentry of the UK by understanding what happened in Ireland which was an integrated province of the UK until it broke free. We still have Mr Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire who owns about 8000 acres and stretches of the Blackwater river. Before the British government introduced the Irish land commission in 1880 forcing these feudal landlords to sell the lands to their tenant farmers, the estate owned about 80,000 acres or 125 square miles. Most of the UK was held by the feudal land barons in this way. The Irish farmers, North and South became landowners while most of the landlords held on to only their private demesnes. In England Scotland and Wales the feudal barons retained most of their lands and that's how the Grosvenors retain what was once farmland and they rent out every square inch of their land at the current best rates they can get. The Norman Dukes and the lords still own much of the best farm land in England, and the farmers are tenants rather than owners. It may be worth saying that these estates are preserved intact by the eldest son getting the whole cake as they follow the tradition laid down by the monarchy. BTW it was the trauma and terror of the Irish Famine in the 1840's that caused the Irish people to fight for the land as it was seen as the only way to secure survival.
I am from India. It has always amazed me just how the British / English with its much smaller army presence was able to control lands many times the size of Britain / England, with populations a hundred and more times that of their own personnel. They had refined to an art form the Divide and Rule Policy, and we were all idiots who succumbed to it. A perfect enactment of the Panchatantra tale of the “Two Monkeys, Cat, And The Loaf of Bread”. More astounding is the fact that the nobility of the Regency, Victorian, Edwardian times wore diamonds on their shoes and had pearls sewn into their stockings, while the millions of common people mouldered amidst the filth, crime and hopelessness of the noxious slums of London, Birmingham, etc.
@@chandraravikumar they set up trading posts and many Indians grew rich on trade, hiring many more until they had Indian armies who did most of the work. The British had a great naval ability and the most advanced arms and a disciplined military. Look on the bright side, Indians speak English today and the prime minister of England is an Indian.
@@noelogara1 Your way is not my way of thinking. Nothing can justify the impoverishment and devastation of a land and civilization that was the richest in the world when the British first stepped on our soil. Nothing can justify the deliberate murder of tens of millions of people through starvation. They have a word now for this. “ Holodmor”. Stalin is called a monster for practising this method of genocide. What shall we call the British? Do you know that less than 500 thousand British people died in the II World War while more than THREE AND HALF MILLION INDIAN SOLDIERS died in this War that had nothing to do with us? And I am not even speaking of the 6 million Poles, the 20 million Chinese, and other non-British millions and millions who also died. Indians were rich traders for thousands before the British came here. Do you know that the British destroyed one of the largest fleets of merchant and naval ships owned by the many kingdoms of India, by banning all shipping ownership by Indians.? As for speaking English, that is not a big deal. We Indians are so smart and adaptable that we would have learnt any language in a matter of few weeks, even Martian, if the need for it rose. An Indian for a Prime Minister of a country which has historically reached the nadir in morality ? Come again. Any pride we have in this is in a rather malicious and revengeful but very human way. We are just waiting for all your chickens to come back to your home to roost so that we can crow “ Good. They deserve this and more!” The fact of the matter is that however evil the British were, we Indians were and ARE not just stupid but cretinous, to allow alien and malignant agendas continue to control us by dividing us to even this day. This is what astounds me in a people who are generally considered to be a highly intelligent lot.
The Earl of Cadogan is a close rival to the Duke of Westminster in the London property market, in second place behind the Duke, with large investments in Kensington and Chelsea. Probably worth a mention in one of your videos.
Done some work and knew someone who lived on the grosvenor estate in Chester. Everyone I know who has met Hugh has never had a bad word to say about him and brings lots of employment to the area. Was also told he had someone to keep him grounded and to not allow the wealth and power get to his head. That’s just a apparently though.
His gran violet went upstairs in NI chucked Gerald home on school holidays out of bed saying I'm not having gardeners working their socks off for you to lye up in your bed..
the problem is to truly put a value on a family like this you cant, how much value to place on the freeholds of one of the top 5 most expensive places in the world they charge (the cheapest) is £150,000 for a 20 year lease, that is just the land lease nothing on the property on top of it, so valuing their true wealth i truly dont believe you can, but i would certainly put them in the category of a hyper-wealthy (above the standard times / forbes rich list) in the area of rockerfellers etc...
Nothing wrong with this, they have managed their affairs well for generations. They are generous, pay on time, and act with good conduct. Unlike some huge corporate scrouges who hold on to every penny even if it is their hard-working employees getting terminally ill from working for them... All they meet you with is a wall of lawyers.
I had no idea that the Grosvenor Group owned Annacis Island in Vancouver BC. There are a lot of companies there or that the Duke of Westminster is the CEO. Thanks for this. Very interesting
Has anyone told yo that your voice is very much like Richard Burton's? Anyway, thank you very much for answering my request with this top class, informative and well produced documentary. I learned so much. And the current generations' philanthropy was eye opening as was the info on Hugh Grosvenors' close friendship with Prince William. I am sure you chose to feature a video of them warmly shaking hands for that reason. All in all your videos are highly professional. They take youtube videos to an entirely new level. And the eloquence speaks of a highly educated person.
Yep, been in the construction industry in London for 25 yrs, and know about them. Could do one about Cadogan. They sold off quite alot in the early 00's.
I didn't know that much of London was still British owned. Unfortunately I suspect those freeheld properties are actually leased out to third parties who aren't British who then let them to others, most of whom aren't either.
@@e13kid Most of which cannot be used to generate a commercial profit. Land rich cash poor is still true for many. Technically, the Crown owns almost all of it, but the revenue is modest. Leaseholders (if any) make the money. The point of a landed gentry has nothing to do with everyday economics - it's raison d'etre is (or was) to prevent the greedy bourgeoisie from buying their way to total power. Before it was stuffed with geriatric servile political stooges, the House of Lords key role was to uphold the rule of Law against the government of the day. How much is that worth?
Love a good history story especially when it's local to me. Thanks for sharing. The family seem really cool and judging from the comments contribute alot even today. Well done to them. ❤
So proud to be from a country where one family owns so much property , and the majority struggle to pay mortgages … what a wonderful way to keep the property in the hands of this patriotic family through our novel leasehold system , tax holes..
As poor as church mice our and many families in NI benefitted from kindness of Gerald grosvenor and his mom buried in simple graveyard next to poor in monea church yard. Violet.. Nothing but praise for them.
And I say again, if you had family money, I suspect you wouldn't give it away. Put another way, if you won the lottery, would you give most of it away to people you don't know? Hate is so easy, isn't it?
Gerald's mother looked n dressed as wealthy but lived large estate outside Enniskillen in county Fermanagh NORTHERN Ireland.. She was familare and kind to ordinary ppl shed shout out in street hello Mrs........ How's the children etc.. She would say to hired help whom she treated with great respect.... When he was a young lad. Where's Gerald you seen him this morning.? Answer no she go in house and toss him out of bed saying I don't hire men to do the gardens to have you lying in your bed. Typical Fermanagh stance. He was a pleasant man who took an interest in people and served IN T. A... During troubles he provided rest and place for services that was safe. Last time I saw him was at Sandhurst day. Cheshire was martial home. His son seem fair and coiled but always be difficult to equal that wealth. His father named islands after his daughters.. Wealthy ppl mix in all circles I'm sure if gerald had been woman same company nothing would have been heard of rumours. As good as royal family thru generations of friendship..
My Great Grandmother was a Ladies Maid at Eaton Hall in the1920's/1930's. Mum says she was very smart and dressed in expensive clothes and the most amazing decorative large hats. She and our Great Grandfather were very well off.
Very interesting. It’s sad, but my family, the Rich family, were just as influential at one time, but didn’t make it through the British Civil War as royalists (Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland) like the Grosvenors. Great video!
Yes. There are many families who were part of the old aristocracy who were brought down by the civil war. But characters like Oliver Cromwell were not the only leaders who humiliated and illiminated the power of rich and influential aristocratic families to fill their purse and promote both themselves and their favourites to new heights. After the Plantagenet dynasty ended my own Norman aristocratic ancestors who survived were gradually demoted from devoted friends and courtiers of Henry VIII to lesser roles as rectors in the new Church of England, followed by merchants during and after the civil war, eventually ending up as foresters in the prominent royal forest of Rutland which was and still is used as royal hunting grounds. . When the areas where they lived became saturated with refugees fleeing the French Revolution and the regions resources were put under a great deal of strain and were unable to cope with the additional influx of destitute foreigners who brought in the need for low cost housing and diseases killed many because sanitation was not adequately prepared in the new housing development; the powers at that time unable to rid themselves of the refugees sent their own indigenous population among whom were my own ancestors to one of their British Colonies to bolster the Englush presence at a new location and relieve the pressure on the local resources. It is happening again. Only the thinning out is happening right at the top in the Royal Establishment itself. To tell you the truth : Even though we have been kicked down the power pyramid and gone from aristocrat to churchmen to upper middle class merchant to artisan, I really dont mind. In a way it is far safer down here and as a lady myself I will not be traded as a commodity in exchange for power and wealth. Despite the normal hardships that everyone suffers like balancing the budget in an economic depression, I still live fairly comfortably and I am in essence free. I am an indirect descendant of the family of Francis De Weston gentleman of the privy chamber of Henry VIII. Executed on the false charge of treason for having an affair with Queen Anne Boleyn.
We only get to hear of the main characters of history, but there are so many side stories that we don't get to hear. And your family history is one of them.
My documented family history goes back to the 1500s however it most likely goes back to the 1000s. We are all English blood with very little dna from other countries. On the downside, my family history is a long line of peasantry 😂.
Thank you. I’ve learned from you once again. In Bethesda, Md we have an area called Grosvenor-Strathmore. It is a mixed use development in a Washington DC upper end suburb, one of DC’s metro stops is named Grosvenor. Strathmore is the location of a major arts center and Grosvenor is adjacent to Walter Reed Medical Center (where the US President receives medical care), the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the Sacred Hearts School for Girls, my oldest daughter’s Alma Mater. The long arm of the Grosvenor Group with its impressive real estate holdings found its way into my backyard.
So many of Britain’s richest people are from the North West, way more than any other region. If you look at the birthplaces in the Sunday Times rich list, they produce so many.
Actually- when i read the book about the early and later life of GABRIELLE "coco" CHANEL; it was said that the current duke's great great grandfather- is one of COCO CHANEL's long time lover (true to its words) after the death of boy capel.
Thank you for A Very Informative Video! I was aware of the Status of the Duke of Westminster, however the Extent of the Grosvenor Holdings was even more Intriguing thru this Video. Controversial or not, at least the Present Duke, as were his Predecessors, ROYALISTS. If you're going to have such Powerful & Wealthy British Citizens (who's Wealth is only exceeded by the British Monarchy) it's IMPERATIVE that they be Loyal to the Monarchy.
I think the Howard family headed by the Duke of Norfolk are the most impressive, ancient, widespread , most titled , and the humblest aristocrats in Britain. They are the Premier Dukes of England and incredibly did this by remaining Catholic through thick and thin. I salute you noble sirs. ( and their castle is as impressive as Windsor!) Actually more.
AMAZING . I LOVE YOUR GOOD STORY TELLING SKILL . NEVER HEARD OF THIS FAMILY THOUGH . I LIKE THE UNRELENTING LOGEVITY OF THEIR OLD MONEY AND STRATEGIC GROWTH
There seems to be a subtle implication that, because they are Uber-rich and a hugely successful business, they are a bit dirty, or corrupt. Nothing in this APART FROM the tax avoidance is anything but generations of clever and disciplined business management. The eternal jealousy and stick-pointing.
The Grosvenor family has a website the gives interesting background. Don't forget though they are an amalgam of families such as the Audley family so there's lot to keep you occupied.
The slave trade which Gina fed their introduction into the industrial revolution. All the biographies either skip or gloss over the slave trade as the basis of great wealth. Guilt/shame come to mind.
Watching from South East Asia. Would love to see a video of the OCBC family and their network of families who own many big corporations and properties in Asia and around the world
Like aristocrats and landowners like Heseltine, this family with their "farm" in Mayfair are exempt from death duties (IHT). The late duke left an estate of £10 billion. But was exempt from IHT of £4 billion. Why? Oh I forgot, the duke receives the income, but doesn't own the land, it's in a perpetual trust.
Great video. Growing up in Chester and working in The Grosvenor Hotel in the middle of the city during my teens, I had the not inconsiderable pleasure of frequently serving the previous Duke and his chums, some port & cigars. I remember thinking on each occasion that his nasal hair was so out of control, that he almost seemed to have two mini-moustaches poking out of each nostril. Proper freaked me out at the time, but now I know his Grandad married his cousin, it does not surprise me.
The Grosvenors are a remarkable family, and in the 80s and 90's billions was put into offshore accounts as at that time it was recommended by accountants that a 'witholding tax' was paid while money was put into an offshore account. It was not a criminal activity.
It's very likely that many of the new generations of these landed families are not business heads other than to be natural skinflints. They usually leave the management of their vast estates to loyal agents and even the agents get their children into the business. Many estates without a direct heir devolve to a lucky relative and as a rule, keeping the estate intact is more important than dividing it among the family, many of whom are left in difficult circumstances.
I believe there was some controversary when the current Duke inherited the estate about not paying some taxes. I believe the estate had been well prepared to avoid the required " death duties".
The family's property is held in a trust, which IIRC grants the family only usus and fructus rights. Because they don't have abusus rights they don't have legal title to the property, so it does not change hands when the head of the family dies, and therefore no inheritance tax is due. Such a setup is perfectly legal and is common in wealthy circles.
COMMENT: Are you familiar with The Grosvenors and their immense influence within British society? And - is there another hugely powerful family you’d like us to cover here at Old Money Luxury?
Yes heard of them. Would like to hear on Sassoon, Ogilvy, Cavendish, du Pont and Battenburg.
How about families that lost old money like The FitzWilliams of Wentworth Woodhouse. Their tale would make excellent viewing. Thank you
I have heard there were a couple of families who owned the lower part of Manhattan. What happened there? I heard they still take the city to court.
The Rothschilds? I'm not sure.
Yes.
I was a roofing contracter on Buildings owned or controlled by the Grosvenor Estate. I was paid on time and in full. The quality they stipulated was of the highest specification. I have nothing but praise for their business practices. BRS Ltd .
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that. It's always good to hear from someone who actually worked for Aristocrats. That gives one the REAL picture of what they're all about.
VOTE REPUBLIC UK ( NOT MY KING ! )
This has always been the case. If you look at the buildings created on their estates, even for humble laborers, they are build to the highest standards. It is part of the ethos of Noblesse Oblige.
@@richardmurphy4520 Power to the People!
When you own everything and will always own everything
...you require the best quality and services at the highest degree because everybody but you will continue to pay the cost of everything. It's business as usual.
To say long live the queen that means even the fool of her courts will be taken care of: a guarantee that the peasants are free for labor.
I met Hugh Grosvenor once when i was the design engineer on a project in one of his properties, and was asked to explain the engineering details to him. He's instantly likeable, intelligent, humorous and humble. He had an instant grasp of what i was explaining. Within about 10 seconds I forgot that i was talking to one of the most powerful people in the country and felt as though i was simply talking to another engineer.
I'm not easily impressed by peoples character, but that young guy is quietly impressive in person.
Interesting, thanks for sharing your story!
He was also savagely anti any green groups or animal rights groups.
Absolutely happy as a pig in mud, to cheat on his wife so often, that it is pointless to try to count.
@@georgielancaster1356
*He was also savagely anti any green groups or animal rights groups*
Are you suggesting he wants to destroy the environment and animals?
*Absolutely happy as a pig in mud, to cheat on his wife so often, that it is pointless to try to count*
50% of marriages fail, what is it you're trying to say?
@@georginaddd
Tall. At the time I thought it might be a bit rude to measure him.
@@georginaddd
Bit of a pointless exercise, but at a guess I'd say he's about 7ft 14, give or take the odd yard.
Or I could look up on Google how tall a guy I met once ten years ago is. So what's your point?
I worked on the Eaton Estate many years ago just as Gerald Grosvenor inherited and along with other members of staff were invited to his wedding celebrations, spoke to him one to one on many an occasion, and found to be a truely down to earth man despite the wealth. Just one other thing, my daughter owns and resides in a beautiful Old Rectory desinged by John Douglas (Chester) built and donated to the Church by Hugh Lupus the First Duke of Westminster,
My old boss 😄 I used to work as non residential caretakers on Eaton Sq a few years back hands down the best job I ever had . And the family where so down to earth , I used to talk with her Grace on a regular basis and was one of the only caretakers allowed in her property and Hugh was a gentleman all the time .
Man I miss that job 😔 but such is life.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing 😊
I lived in Chester for in 2019/2020, the area is incredibly well maintained, and they provide much employment for the people in the area through contracting on maintenance etc on their properties. Eaton is a beautiful estate, I drove past it almost daily for quite some time. I dislike the entitlement and concept of family money, but as people I think this current generation of the Grosvenor family are pretty alright.
But I suspect if you had family money you wouldn't be giving it away.
Sound much better than the Rich money families in the US
If a family makes the money shouldn't they be entitled to keep it....
@@caciliawhy5195no, instead I donate fair portions of what I currently make 🤷♂️
@@vel230of course, but helping your fellow man from a position of privilege can only benefit society
Their family sounds like a force for good. The amount they put back into society and investments into bettering our way of living they deserve the success they have.
Sounds convincing , though when I think back the last few years at Andrews friendship with an elite sex trafficker / smuggler I question Lady grovsners cause ! Does she support American prisons / prisoners too ?
Cobblers.
Lady ? ( ha ha ha) @@Jason-cj3ih
I used to work for them and can say they we're absolutely fantastic to work for the Duchess and the current Duke always made time to have a genuine conversation and were so down to earth unless you knew who they were you wouldn't know there status from just looking .
@@Bigmanstyling101 My father in law would beg to differ, as he was in their employ for several years, he said they were rude, arrogant, snide reprobates.
That literally blew my mind, as a Brit I'd heard the name Grovesnor, but never realised who it was associated with! Thanks for such an informative video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
There’s Grosvenor Square, Grosvenor House hotels here in London, it’s well known
I have met both Gerald and a very young Hugh, whilst out shooting, ( I was picking up) both were extremely nice and very down to earth. Honest, lovely family as far as I am concerned
One of the best estates in England , high standards great properties.
Worked with them for 10 years
Feudal nobility!!
This voice is fantastic, it is a real pleasure to listen.
Not difficult to understand english language for somebody who is not mother tongue .
Thank you , you make a great service not only from the historycal point of view but in teaching your language.
Thank you very much!
@@oldmoneyluxury
I apologize for my poor english and as sometime I see my mistakes after sending the comment , I try to correct myself in modifying it.
The Grimaldi family of Monaco would be a great subject for a video. Not every dynasty can trace its lineage back to a pirate!
Coming soon 👀
Gives a lot of interesting ....
That depends on your definition of piracy.
They can all trace their ancestry back to pirates murderers and robbers. How do you think it all started in the first plsce?
Here be pirates…
I am totally taken by your statement that the Grosvenors are invested in Anicis Island, British Columbia, Canada! My family passed by the Island so many times travelling the highway. I will continue to watch these videos as we are never too old to learn past and present history. 🇨🇦
I love present history.
Earl Spencer has bought most lakefront properties in Ontario
As a Mexican viewer, I’d like to see you do a video on the family of Carlos Slim Helú, Mexico’s richest man who at one time unseated Bill Gates as the richest man in the world between 2010 and 2013. His present fortune exceeds 98 billion dollars. It’s hard here in México to do anything without putting money in his pocket. México is much more than tequila, tacos and drug cartels.
Great suggestion!
Do it. Just do it.
He is the number one cartel boss. The amount of people he and his political buddies have killed is legendary.
Hence the concern that he is monopolizing the economy.
I know it is and Mexican people are great 😃
I first heard of the Duke of Westminster when I was teenager and beginning to take an interest in politics. My old dad said that if I really wanted to know what was going on, find out what the Duke of Westminster was up to. In our village we still knew about touching the forelock.
Sad.
@@richardmurphy4520totally agree
What's "touching the forelock"? Is that like removing your cap?
Their Ancestors earned it, and I myself born in the Westend, I have never heard anything but the highest praise from anyone who worked with or for them.
You mean your a sycophant.
I bet you get a few of those East End boys coming over for those West End girls eh?
Funny enough that song was sung by a Gay Band 👍😂
I love that they are willing to do good for the society, not just spend their money on luxuries! This is a family I would love to see continue to prosper, and would be happy for my daughter to marry into!! New money may be Silver, but Old money like these are definitely gold.
They owe 2bn quid in inheritance tax but the tax man goes after Betty who’s on the hobble for 200 quid a month. They are filth, they hate the poor and worship Satan. Prove me wrong folks
I met Earl Grosvenor when i was 21 at university he was a very young looking 31 at the time. I asked him how he got on in London as a single man. He explained that he was actually married before he inherited and that he never expected to inherit as his uncle died at 60 and his father died at 68 he inherited young. When I met him he was constantly smoking but he had great charm. He died an eyeblink later at the age of 64. In later years he suffered from depression as he though every one believed he had an easy life by inheriting so much money at an early age. He took solace in his position in the Army Reserves as something he did in his own right. After being caught out in a call girl scandal he looked an unhappy figure and died very young as his father and uncle before him. Now we have a new Earl I do not envy him in the slightest. The weight and responsibility of his inheritance is a very heavy weight to bear.
LOL
They could give me a call if they need a hand
@@stephenellis2866😂
I dare say that there are constant verbal attacks on his character & the Integrity of his Companies, (especially since he & his Family have been so Loyal to the Crown) Such is usually the case with the Extremely Wealthy. There is always someone rising up to try to accuse & take down their Empires, bc of their Immense Power.
No mention of the slave trade. Whitewashed history at its best.
I love your videos about those « hidden » old money family. I would love to see one about the Eaton family. Also, as a Canadian, I would love to see one about old money families in Canada.
Thank you Veronique, we are glad you enjoy our content. Great video suggestions, too!
Good friend is the head Gardner their and my father in law works on the estate. Family are down to earth and nice people.
I'm working in Belgravia in one of building which owned by the Grosvenor. And i'm all time wondering how rich they are, as i knew they owned almost all luxury building in that area 🙈 And the resident of my ambassador is one of the building that I really adored, every single detailed, and the stairs is indeed masterpiece!!!!!!
Why don't they help the poor and needy😮😮😮😮😮😮ashrouddoent have pockets
They have provided capital to many super talented teams in the livestock industry and I respect them for that!
The first big western u.s. cattle barons were largely English second sons. Great tradition you have there.
What a wonderful enjoyable story about the Old Money & its families. Kudos to their extraordinary sense of timing & opportunistic moves to continue their amass of wealth and it's protection. Better than a movie, thank you for the historical entertainment.
This is the content I have waited for! I knew the Grovenors were huge landowners in the UK but was unaware of their American holdings. Thanks for the look at the good and bad of their legacy 😊
More to come!
@@oldmoneyluxury Maybe they will help the Princes of Wales with his homeless program.
Reputedly they said, when the U.S foreign office wanted to buy the house and land their old embassy was situated in/on, that ”yes of course, as long as we get back our lands in the U.S that were taken because of the American revolution”, tongue in cheek of course. Didn’t go down that well with the americans, wich might be partly why they moved the embassy…
The Grosvenors ancestor was William the Conqueror. They have been in England since 1066 and by the sound of it still ruling the roost!
Doubt that was the reason the embassy moved as I recall the US got something like a 900-year lease on the property.
I also recall the sellers wanted Miami back. (I'd have thrown in the rest of the state, but the ensuing ill-will the Brits would have felt probably would have caused issues.)
I'd like to see a video on the familial relationship between the Spencers, the Churchills, and the Washingtons. A little nugget of history the Americans don't know about. Thanks for a great video with a perfect narrator.
Great suggestion! Thank you Deborah.
@@oldmoneyluxury Please do segment on that family Spencer-Churchill-Washington-BRF ❤
I'm American and know. It's public info.
Was the narrator AI generated? Certain inflection on English words gave me pause for thought. Even so, I agree the content and narration was excellent.
@@cylcoco772they are connected to the Royal Family, they got wealthy because of favors from the monarch, Give and Take system.
The Windsors marry into the House of Grosvenor and the House of Spencer to align themselves with old power and old aristocracy--not the other way around.
Exactly
I dont think you know how monarchy or aristocracy works. The saxe cobourg gotha have been rich throughout history and were powerful figures colonizing Britain. They only changed the name to windsor during world War 2 in order to distance themselves from the german roots. All aristocracy are related in some way.
@@maple-leafs13he probably means that the family is older in Britain than the current Royal family
@@ScootsFromNewCastle Money marries money...its a greed thing.
They need to do co£d turkey.
Right you are!
Do the Orsini family. Dates back to 600AD, 5 popes, a number of generals, big landholdings in Italy.
Great suggestion!
@@AlexandreLimberger
All popes are related, same family line and there is actually no vote , it literally is a load of smoke to fool the sheep.
I worked on the refurbishment of Eaton hall for the designer John Stefanidis. Part of the works included the removal from site of the main entrance gates for refurbishment. When the gates were reinstated one of our joiners drove his car into them. He was very short sighted but refused to wear glasses and, when asked what had happened, he explaind that the gates had not been there the previous week when he had last driven onto the estate.
Lol...
Good for them
Share with the POOR END HOMELESS
@@soniarichardson1566 Hello, What does this mean? Good for who? Share what? and who/what is the 'poor end homeless'? I am very confused and have spent too long trying to understand.
Oooppps 😂
Thoroughly enjoyable to hear somebody enunciate English and speak it in a very clear, erudite,concise, eloquent manner.
Thank you for the kind words.
Does it not sound computer generated to you?
There are various families in UK like this - but who would want the responsibility - like playing monopoly but you own the board I did live in one of their houses Wimpole St - they actually ran the estate very well - well maintained safe, as long as you paid the fees no problems - in fact without these families London wouldnt be what it is - lovely architecture, areas of green good hotels business areas -
A thousand years? Now THAT’s old money. ☺️
William the Conqueror explains old money attitude with that pedigree. His legacy was profiled recently on CZcams so I sent it to my great-nephew William who, thru happenstance stands to inherit much, including land, thru at least 4 relatives. What’s in a name? Thank you.
😊❤️
Indeed!
The House of the Massimo Lancellloti (in Rome) family goes back to 2000 years referring to the Massimo family. A very interesting story.
The Grosvenor's could at one time ride from their home base in Chester to London without leaving their own lands, how did they get it? Their ancestors invaded England with William the Conqueror and they as most of England's old aristocracy today are of Norman descent who acquired their lands after William took them from the defeated Saxons. Also, since the Norman conquest like the members of England's royal family's they are always said to be English, when they were not. As the old saying goes it's the victors who write the history.
Vikings brought the grit, French brought the class. That made the British society.
@@jeanlefranc3817 The Normans weren't French they were Vikings who lived in Normandy which has since become part of France. The Normans also invaded Ireland and started Irelands long tragedy, and no it wasn't an Anglo-Norman invasion as the English weren't involved, it was just the Normans.
Well, the British have always believed in the rights of the Conqueror when it came to themselves vs other nations, haven't they?
@@louise_rose So we have now gone from the English to the British. The Conqueror was a Norman, of Norse descent, Scandinavian descent. England's Kings were for hundreds of years after the Norman ones were only Kings in England but Dukes in what is now France, England was only one of their possessions not a country in its own right.
History is not a pleasant place to go whether on an ego trip or to grind an axe as very few countries do not have a dark chapter in their history. As the biblical saying goes, let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
@@petefl1818 "Hard luck, Englishman!" 😃 (I'm from Sweden, an original Viking country, and one of the few countries whose modern-day land has never been invaded by England or Britain)
Hugh's a great guy. Quiet and hides. His dad died 'young' and His Grace became Duke in his 20's. That's rough.
Fascinating. I have stayed in the Grosvenor a few times . Wonderful place.
Absolutely fascinating in general . I have always had the utmost respect for the Grosvenor Family - Duke of Westminster , over the years that I have been acquainted with the family they have always been low key going about their business quietly .
I grew up knowing about them and my parents always had the utmost respect for the family and apparently they always treated their tenants well and ensured that the fabric of their homes was well maintained (I think the company dad worked for did a lot of consulting work for the family).
How do people have tespect for people they font know have never met and are only going by what has been written about them by people who under obligation to shine only light on them leaving out the known darkness these gruops are involved in😂😂😂
Which is very classy.
I am familair with them, I heard of the youngest one some times ago. It's really impressive the amount of properties they own and the quality of it. Thanks for sharing such content!
The name extends as far as the old colonies; I remember The Grosvenor Hotel in Nairobi ... since acquired by the State for the DoD but the name will always be a part of Kenyan history.
A company that I used to work for had some of their business in the Grosvenor building in Vancouver . Got used to the name. I wish the best for them.
They have done more for their native North West than any London government ever has. They own large swathes of Lancashire too. The late Queen, had a house near their estate in Lancashire and secretly went there when she wanted peace. The late King George the 6th bought the house when he was Duke of York and was going to move there but then he became King, unexpectedly. It is well-documented that it was the Queen’s favourite place.
If you are looking at land and property ownership in central London you need to look at the Grosvenor, Howard de Walden and Portman families, and also at Hyde Park Estate (Church Commissioners), Shaftesbury Capital and the Crown estate.
And the Rothschilds?
@@Chris-qg8ssallegedly they were among the first investors of the Bank of England.
When living in London as an student 12 years ago I walked and walked all central London, the westend, the East End and more. Always asking my self about the history and owners on those portions of the city as well as those properties in the City of London and all the Chelsie area. Thanks for this video.
I heard that a Norwegian government investment fund was slowly becoming the richest in London.
The new American Embassy in Battersea on the south side of the Thames is on American owned land now. Selling the lease on the old Grosvenor Square property pretty much paid for the new embassy. The new embassy also helped to spark a regeneration in a depressed area, bringing new businesses and residences to the area. ❤
There is no 'American' named country of which I know as there are two continents and many countries. One of which is The United States OF America, which is not united nor America.
I wonder if the Canadian High Commission is still in Grosvenor square or has it moved to Canada House….
@@dalenbickenbach9533 THERE's the Karen!
@dalenbickenbach9533 And what are people from the United States of America Called, those same people, the owners of that embassy? Pray tell what would they be called anywhere in the world you go? Would Americans be the only ones with the name America in their name? While there are 2 "American Continents" North and South there is but one America.
Nine Elms hasn't been "depressed" for decades.
They own vast tracts of Australia and large parts of Hawaii. When Gerald got married, he had his honeymoon in Australia on one of his properties. He claimed it was a business trip for tax purposes. Gerald’s father was wounded in WWII. Sometime later he contracted cancer which eventually killed him. The family succesfully argued that the cancer came on as a result of his wounds from the war, so when he died, no inheritance tax was due. Lucky that !
If there,s one thing dirty royalist tory paedo commonwealth ( for who ?) toffs hate it,s having to pay TAX.
There were no standards on using cancer causing chemicals in the old days as there was very little knowledge on what did and did not cause cancer.
My ancestors once owned land. It was enough to ensure that we had enough potatoes to see us through the year 😢
I met Lady Edwina Grosvenor through her work with prison reform. She was really nice, low key and down to earth. She seemed really normal, which is not what I associate with people from extreme wealth. I see Walden House on my commute to work, its now boarded up, so they won and all families have been booted out to make way for a "new development"
I love, not just your excellent content, but also how you weave your narrative. Thank you for such splendid videos.
Wow, thank you!
Went to the same school as the grosvenor's even had the same history teacher for A-levels. Only ever heard good stories and anecdotes, the same cannot be said for the myriad of russians and emiratis.
Or would everyone prefer the land to be owned by “non national “ oligarchs ? To build on, develop and control?
How about just a non ogliarch? I highly think it reeks of audacity for anyone from England speaking negatively of someone owning land in other countries....your own history disputes the sentiment...
it would be much better if enormous land holdings like this didn't exist at all.
They would rather it were owned by normal British citizens
@@eliaschevette Why ? Would it help cure you of your jealousy ?
@@CuanZkinda impossible given the fact it’s London
They have lots of properties in South Africa especially in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town...
Through his mother, Natalia Phillips, the current Duke of Westminster is a descendant of most european royal houses (Russia, Prussia, Baden, Sweden, Denmark, Nassau, etc). He is also a direct and legitimate descendant of King George II of Great Britain. It is old money indeed!
Natalia Philips’s maternal grandmother was the morganatic daughter of the Grand Duke Michael M of Russia and Natalia is a direct descendant of Alexander Pushkin and Abram Gannibal an enslaved Eritrean nobleman that Peter the Great freed and adopted , when Abram was a child .
Hugh, the current Duke of Westminster, just got engaged to Olivia Henson. The wedding will be in June 2024. Looks, charm and money. Lucky girl!!
Huge Grosvenor is one friends that William should get onboard to deal with his homeless issues
If you actually believe bald William really gives a tinkers cuss about homeless in the UK ?, you are very gullible, impressionable, and naive.
A lot of these aristocrats are descended from warriors aren’t they? Knights and such, and from what I know a lot of them still maintain a military tradition of sons joining the armed forces
The late Duke of Westminster served in the Territorial Army (voluntary, part-time branch of UK military).
His ancestor fought at the battle of Hastings his colours are in the stained glass windows of battle abbey as all of the Norman Knights who fought that day. His name derived from french meaning Big Hunter
The knights were Black people/ Moors. STOLEN IDENTITY.
They are descendants of enslaved brutal people.Who earned from the repugnant slave trade
Yes. In the old days there were no national armed forces, and monarchs had to raise their own army in order to defend the country and also to invade France. Knights who fought well in service of the monarch were rewarded with titles and land. The Victorian tradition for the landed gentry was that the first son inherited and ran the family estate, the second son went into the army, and the third son (if any) went into the church.
It may help explain the landed gentry of the UK by understanding what happened in Ireland which was an integrated province of the UK until it broke free. We still have Mr Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire who owns about 8000 acres and stretches of the Blackwater river. Before the British government introduced the Irish land commission in 1880 forcing these feudal landlords to sell the lands to their tenant farmers, the estate owned about 80,000 acres or 125 square miles. Most of the UK was held by the feudal land barons in this way. The Irish farmers, North and South became landowners while most of the landlords held on to only their private demesnes. In England Scotland and Wales the feudal barons retained most of their lands and that's how the Grosvenors retain what was once farmland and they rent out every square inch of their land at the current best rates they can get. The Norman Dukes and the lords still own much of the best farm land in England, and the farmers are tenants rather than owners. It may be worth saying that these estates are preserved intact by the eldest son getting the whole cake as they follow the tradition laid down by the monarchy. BTW it was the trauma and terror of the Irish Famine in the 1840's that caused the Irish people to fight for the land as it was seen as the only way to secure survival.
Very interesting history. Thanks for sharing.
I am from India. It has always amazed me just how the British / English with its much smaller army presence was able to control lands many times the size of Britain / England, with populations a hundred and more times that of their own personnel. They had refined to an art form the Divide and Rule Policy, and we were all idiots who succumbed to it. A perfect enactment of the Panchatantra tale of the “Two Monkeys, Cat, And The Loaf of Bread”.
More astounding is the fact that the nobility of the Regency, Victorian, Edwardian times wore diamonds on their shoes and had pearls sewn into their stockings, while the millions of common people mouldered amidst the filth, crime and hopelessness of the noxious slums of London, Birmingham, etc.
@@chandraravikumar they set up trading posts and many Indians grew rich on trade, hiring many more until they had Indian armies who did most of the work. The British had a great naval ability and the most advanced arms and a disciplined military. Look on the bright side, Indians speak English today and the prime minister of England is an Indian.
@@noelogara1 Your way is not my way of thinking. Nothing can justify the impoverishment and devastation of a land and civilization that was the richest in the world when the British first stepped on our soil. Nothing can justify the deliberate murder of tens of millions of people through starvation. They have a word now for this. “ Holodmor”. Stalin is called a monster for practising this method of genocide. What shall we call the British? Do you know that less than 500 thousand British people died in the II World War while more than THREE AND HALF MILLION INDIAN SOLDIERS died in this War that had nothing to do with us? And I am not even speaking of the 6 million Poles, the 20 million Chinese, and other non-British millions and millions who also died.
Indians were rich traders for thousands before the British came here. Do you know that the British destroyed one of the largest fleets of merchant and naval ships owned by the many kingdoms of India, by banning all shipping ownership by Indians.? As for speaking English, that is not a big deal. We Indians are so smart and adaptable that we would have learnt any language in a matter of few weeks, even Martian, if the need for it rose. An Indian for a Prime Minister of a country which has historically reached the nadir in morality ? Come again. Any pride we have in this is in a rather malicious and revengeful but very human way. We are just waiting for all your chickens to come back to your home to roost so that we can crow “ Good. They deserve this and more!”
The fact of the matter is that however evil the British were, we Indians were and ARE not just stupid but cretinous, to allow alien and malignant agendas continue to control us by dividing us to even this day. This is what astounds me in a people who are generally considered to be a highly intelligent lot.
@@noelogara1And A very good one
The Earl of Cadogan is a close rival to the Duke of Westminster in the London property market, in second place behind the Duke, with large investments in Kensington and Chelsea. Probably worth a mention in one of your videos.
Noted!
Beautifully written script and thankfully beautifully narrated.
Thank you kindly!
Done some work and knew someone who lived on the grosvenor estate in Chester. Everyone I know who has met Hugh has never had a bad word to say about him and brings lots of employment to the area. Was also told he had someone to keep him grounded and to not allow the wealth and power get to his head. That’s just a apparently though.
His gran violet went upstairs in NI chucked Gerald home on school holidays out of bed saying I'm not having gardeners working their socks off for you to lye up in your bed..
The wealth of the Grosvenors seems only a little more than the wealth of Robert Kwok and family of Shangrila
the problem is to truly put a value on a family like this you cant, how much value to place on the freeholds of one of the top 5 most expensive places in the world they charge (the cheapest) is £150,000 for a 20 year lease, that is just the land lease nothing on the property on top of it, so valuing their true wealth i truly dont believe you can, but i would certainly put them in the category of a hyper-wealthy (above the standard times / forbes rich list) in the area of rockerfellers etc...
I'd love you to look at other old British noble families such as the Hoares banking family.
You sure it's not spelled whores? And they changed their name like the Rothschilds?
I love the Hoares, I bet Nonce Andrew loves them too.
The Cadogan Real Estate Family is one that is often overlooked or under appreciated in London
The “Old Money" British Family That Owns West London (NOT The Grosvenors)
czcams.com/video/xUPiTz_PfD0/video.html
Nothing wrong with this, they have managed their affairs well for generations.
They are generous, pay on time, and act with good conduct.
Unlike some huge corporate scrouges who hold on to every penny even if it is their hard-working employees getting terminally ill from working for them... All they meet you with is a wall of lawyers.
Does this speaker know that he has a wonderful voice and pronunciation? 😍
No it is pretentious
@@MarjorieWong-ym3ft Excuse me what's your nationality?
@@MarjorieWong-ym3ft The prose is extremely purple, as though it were written for a glossy magazine.
Hugh Boneville ?
@@michaelgibson4705u
I had no idea that the Grosvenor Group owned Annacis Island in Vancouver BC. There are a lot of companies there or that the Duke of Westminster is the CEO. Thanks for this. Very interesting
You are very welcome!
Have a look at the place names in the north. Very interesting.
This kind of wealth can only be achieved by ruthless actions
Maybe, maybe not
Motto is rent not sell
@@JacobBrand2000 Surely.
or owning and developing property over generations.
Or by the consistently intelligent, disciplined, and ethical stewardship of familial assets for about 1000 years. Could be that.
Has anyone told yo that your voice is very much like Richard Burton's? Anyway, thank you very much for answering my request with this top class, informative and well produced documentary. I learned so much. And the current generations' philanthropy was eye opening as was the info on Hugh Grosvenors' close friendship with Prince William. I am sure you chose to feature a video of them warmly shaking hands for that reason. All in all your videos are highly professional. They take youtube videos to an entirely new level. And the eloquence speaks of a highly educated person.
Our pleasure!
That has to be Colin Firth narrating this.
Broadsword calling Danny boy
Who is the narrator?
@@sheilamallett2741sounds computer generated to me
Wow that was interesting. Obviously the family was forward thinking.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yep, been in the construction industry in London for 25 yrs, and know about them. Could do one about Cadogan. They sold off quite alot in the early 00's.
Please tackle about the CAVENDISH's and the SPENCER's
Eaton Hall opens it's gardens to the public a couple of times a year. We went last year and it is absolutely lovely.
Nice, thanks for sharing!
I didn't know that much of London was still British owned. Unfortunately I suspect those freeheld properties are actually leased out to third parties who aren't British who then let them to others, most of whom aren't either.
Ancient British families are like 0.0001% of the population and own 30% of all land in Britain.
@@e13kid Most of which cannot be used to generate a commercial profit. Land rich cash poor is still true for many. Technically, the Crown owns almost all of it, but the revenue is modest. Leaseholders (if any) make the money. The point of a landed gentry has nothing to do with everyday economics - it's raison d'etre is (or was) to prevent the greedy bourgeoisie from buying their way to total power. Before it was stuffed with geriatric servile political stooges, the House of Lords key role was to uphold the rule of Law against the government of the day. How much is that worth?
Love a good history story especially when it's local to me. Thanks for sharing. The family seem really cool and judging from the comments contribute alot even today. Well done to them. ❤
Glad you enjoyed it
So proud to be from a country where one family owns so much property , and the majority struggle to pay mortgages … what a wonderful way to keep the property in the hands of this patriotic family through our novel leasehold system , tax holes..
Well chinese people are having to pay mortgages on property that’s not even built and probably never will be
As poor as church mice our and many families in NI benefitted from kindness of Gerald grosvenor and his mom buried in simple graveyard next to poor in monea church yard. Violet.. Nothing but praise for them.
Envy is a horrible trait
Now I understand why the Queen would not allow her children to play the board game Monopoly. They were playing the game in real life.
And I say again, if you had family money, I suspect you wouldn't give it away. Put another way, if you won the lottery, would you give most of it away to people you don't know? Hate is so easy, isn't it?
Thank you for the information about this family.
Our pleasure!
Gerald's mother looked n dressed as wealthy but lived large estate outside Enniskillen in county Fermanagh NORTHERN Ireland.. She was familare and kind to ordinary ppl shed shout out in street hello Mrs........ How's the children etc.. She would say to hired help whom she treated with great respect.... When he was a young lad. Where's Gerald you seen him this morning.? Answer no she go in house and toss him out of bed saying I don't hire men to do the gardens to have you lying in your bed. Typical Fermanagh stance. He was a pleasant man who took an interest in people and served IN T. A... During troubles he provided rest and place for services that was safe. Last time I saw him was at Sandhurst day. Cheshire was martial home. His son seem fair and coiled but always be difficult to equal that wealth. His father named islands after his daughters.. Wealthy ppl mix in all circles I'm sure if gerald had been woman same company nothing would have been heard of rumours. As good as royal family thru generations of friendship..
Excellent!!! I came across this by accident. A video on the Habsburg family would be great
Thank you Victor!
My Great Grandmother was a Ladies Maid at Eaton Hall in the1920's/1930's. Mum says she was very smart and dressed in expensive clothes and the most amazing decorative large hats.
She and our Great Grandfather were very well off.
Very interesting. It’s sad, but my family, the Rich family, were just as influential at one time, but didn’t make it through the British Civil War as royalists (Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland) like the Grosvenors. Great video!
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
Yes. There are many families who were part of the old aristocracy who were brought down by the civil war. But characters like Oliver Cromwell were not the only leaders who humiliated and illiminated the power of rich and influential aristocratic families to fill their purse and promote both themselves and their favourites to new heights. After the Plantagenet dynasty ended my own Norman aristocratic ancestors who survived were gradually demoted from devoted friends and courtiers of Henry VIII to lesser roles as rectors in the new Church of England, followed by merchants during and after the civil war, eventually ending up as foresters in the prominent royal forest of Rutland which was and still is used as royal hunting grounds.
.
When the areas where they lived became saturated with refugees fleeing the French Revolution and the regions resources were put under a great deal of strain and were unable to cope with the additional influx of destitute foreigners who brought in the need for low cost housing and diseases killed many because sanitation was not adequately prepared in the new housing development; the powers at that time unable to rid themselves of the refugees sent their own indigenous population among whom were my own ancestors to one of their British Colonies to bolster the Englush presence at a new location and relieve the pressure on the local resources.
It is happening again. Only the thinning out is happening right at the top in the Royal Establishment itself.
To tell you the truth : Even though we have been kicked down the power pyramid and gone from aristocrat to churchmen to upper middle class merchant to artisan, I really dont mind. In a way it is far safer down here and as a lady myself I will not be traded as a commodity in exchange for power and wealth. Despite the normal hardships that everyone suffers like balancing the budget in an economic depression, I still live fairly comfortably and I am in essence free.
I am an indirect descendant of the family of Francis De Weston gentleman of the privy chamber of Henry VIII. Executed on the false charge of treason for having an affair with Queen Anne Boleyn.
@@lameesahmad9166 Fascinating, what a family history!
We only get to hear of the main characters of history, but there are so many side stories that we don't get to hear. And your family history is one of them.
My documented family history goes back to the 1500s however it most likely goes back to the 1000s. We are all English blood with very little dna from other countries.
On the downside, my family history is a long line of peasantry 😂.
It's enthusing to see that it's possible to be profitable with aesthetic architecture.
Next, maybe we can do art generally.
This family is the embodiment of old saying noblesse oblige
Thank you. I’ve learned from you once again. In Bethesda, Md we have an area called Grosvenor-Strathmore. It is a mixed use development in a Washington DC upper end suburb, one of DC’s metro stops is named Grosvenor. Strathmore is the location of a major arts center and Grosvenor is adjacent to Walter Reed Medical Center (where the US President receives medical care), the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and the Sacred Hearts School for Girls, my oldest daughter’s Alma Mater. The long arm of the Grosvenor Group with its impressive real estate holdings found its way into my backyard.
You're very welcome!
I was not familiar with the Grosvenor family. Thank you for enlightening me.
Our pleasure!
Very interesting to hear a true history of our great country without a negative slant.
Glad you enjoyed it
So many of Britain’s richest people are from the North West, way more than any other region. If you look at the birthplaces in the Sunday Times rich list, they produce so many.
Actually- when i read the book about the early and later life of GABRIELLE "coco" CHANEL; it was said that the current duke's great great grandfather- is one of COCO CHANEL's long time lover (true to its words) after the death of boy capel.
Thank you for A Very Informative Video! I was aware of the Status of the Duke of Westminster, however the Extent of the Grosvenor Holdings was even more Intriguing thru this Video. Controversial or not, at least the Present Duke, as were his Predecessors, ROYALISTS. If you're going to have such Powerful & Wealthy British Citizens (who's Wealth is only exceeded by the British Monarchy) it's IMPERATIVE that they be Loyal to the Monarchy.
Thanks for watching!
The Royal Family's true wealth is not disclosed, they only show a penny of their worth in public😂😂😂
Wow im learning alot, Never connected Grosvenor place (road leading to Victoria) with the hotel/ballroom. Great video! Keep them coming.
Thanks for watching!
In Mayfair, there is Grosvenor Square, Grosvenor Street and Upper Grosvenor Street, which are all on land owned by the family.
I have always been interested in old family history , please post more loved it , thankyou , 😁👏
More to come!
I think the Howard family headed by the Duke of Norfolk are the most impressive, ancient, widespread , most titled , and the humblest aristocrats in Britain. They are the Premier Dukes of England and incredibly did this by remaining Catholic through thick and thin. I salute you noble sirs. ( and their castle is as impressive as Windsor!) Actually more.
The Duchy of Norfolk is the oldest non-Royal dukedom in the UK.
Great video!
Thanks!
They sound like genuinely nice people and what great work Edwina Grosvenor is doing. Would love to meet them someday.
AMAZING . I LOVE YOUR GOOD STORY TELLING SKILL . NEVER HEARD OF THIS FAMILY THOUGH . I LIKE THE UNRELENTING LOGEVITY OF THEIR OLD MONEY AND STRATEGIC GROWTH
Thanks for watching!
SAME ! Never heard of it. So much infomartion and well put together ✨
There seems to be a subtle implication that, because they are Uber-rich and a hugely successful business, they are a bit dirty, or corrupt. Nothing in this APART FROM the tax avoidance is anything but generations of clever and disciplined business management. The eternal jealousy and stick-pointing.
The video skips from 1066 to 1585. It would be interesting to know what the Grosvenors were doing over this 500 years or so.
brutalising their peasants
The Grosvenor family has a website the gives interesting background. Don't forget though they are an amalgam of families such as the Audley family so there's lot to keep you occupied.
Stealing
Probably on benefits
The slave trade which Gina fed their introduction into the industrial revolution. All the biographies either skip or gloss over the slave trade as the basis of great wealth. Guilt/shame come to mind.
I think it would be cool if you ventured to the tropics, check out Jamaica's 21 families.
Watching from South East Asia. Would love to see a video of the OCBC family and their network of families who own many big corporations and properties in Asia and around the world
Never heard of the Grovernors. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Like aristocrats and landowners like Heseltine, this family with their "farm" in Mayfair are exempt from death duties (IHT). The late duke left an estate of £10 billion. But was exempt from IHT of £4 billion. Why? Oh I forgot, the duke receives the income, but doesn't own the land, it's in a perpetual trust.
You can do exactly the same if you can be bothered.
@@hb1338 That's what the other aristocrats should have done. It was crippling death duties that killed off the stately homes.
@@hb1338 Cobblers
Living in Williamsburg Va, USA you see a lot of Grovsvenor Things brandied around. I always wondered where the name came from.
Now I know.
Just had a similar awaking about an area in Bethesda, Md.
Great video. Growing up in Chester and working in The Grosvenor Hotel in the middle of the city during my teens, I had the not inconsiderable pleasure of frequently serving the previous Duke and his chums, some port & cigars. I remember thinking on each occasion that his nasal hair was so out of control, that he almost seemed to have two mini-moustaches poking out of each nostril. Proper freaked me out at the time, but now I know his Grandad married his cousin, it does not surprise me.
😅
Three generations of my family were their architects.
Perfect example of when your ancestors understood their assignment
Indeed 😁
The Grosvenors are a remarkable family, and in the 80s and 90's billions was put into offshore accounts as at that time it was recommended by accountants that a 'witholding tax' was paid while money was put into an offshore account. It was not a criminal activity.
It's very likely that many of the new generations of these landed families are not business heads other than to be natural skinflints. They usually leave the management of their vast estates to loyal agents and even the agents get their children into the business. Many estates without a direct heir devolve to a lucky relative and as a rule, keeping the estate intact is more important than dividing it among the family, many of whom are left in difficult circumstances.
@@noelogara1 It does lead to more constructive life if a person tried to be more positive about events.
It's called greed
I believe there was some controversary when the current Duke inherited the estate about not paying some taxes. I believe the estate had been well prepared to avoid the required " death duties".
The family's property is held in a trust, which IIRC grants the family only usus and fructus rights. Because they don't have abusus rights they don't have legal title to the property, so it does not change hands when the head of the family dies, and therefore no inheritance tax is due. Such a setup is perfectly legal and is common in wealthy circles.
@@hb1338 Thanks for sharing. Yes, there are many trust structures that can protect assets.