The Cambridges Join Memorial Service for the Duke of Westminster

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined several members of the Royal family to pay tribute to the sixth Duke of Westminster at a memorial service this afternoon.

Over 2,000 mourners were in attendance at Chester Cathedral including close friends, relatives, dignitaries and representatives from the numerous charities he supported.

The Duke, Gerald Grosvenor passed away due to a heart attack in August, aged 64. His wife Natalia is Prince William's godmother and he has served as something of a mentor to the future king. When it came to choosing Prince George's godparents, William and Kate chose his son Hugh Grosvenor. At just 25 he has now become the seventh Duke of Westminster. The Cambridges used the Duke's jet several times, most recently for their summer holiday with George and Charlotte in France.

Below, Hugh Grosvenor, the seventh Duke of Westminster with his sister Lady Viola Grosvenor.

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And Hugh pictured with his mother Natalia (William's godmother).

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More from the Telegraph's story:

'At the time of his death the landowner was worth around $10.8 billion (£8.65 billion) according to Forbes, making him the 68th richest person in the world, and third in the UK. He owned 190 acres in Belgravia, adjacent to Buckingham Palace and one of London's most expensive areas, as well as thousands of acres in Scotland and Spain. In 1973, when he was 22, he became trustee of the Grosvenor Estate and was forced to abandon his dream of a career as a professional soldier in his uncle's regiment, the 9th/12th Lancers. He instead signed up to the Territorial Army and in 1994 received an OBE for his work as a volunteer soldier. When his father Robert died in 1979, he became the sixth Duke of Westminster aged just 27.

He succeeded his father to become chairman of Grosvenor Holdings, the commercial arm of the Grosvenor Estate, and dedicated himself to using his wealth responsibly. The Westminster Foundation, which manages the estate's charitable giving, has donated to more than 1,500 charitable organisations since 1974, and the Duke was also president of the RNIB for 25 years and president of the St John Ambulance for 10 years.'

Below we see the the late Duke with his wife Natalia and daughter Viola at the requiem mass for Hugh van Cutsem in 2013.

The streets of the small cathedral city were lined with people wishing to pay tribute.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving for the memorial. The Duke of Westminster was a dear friend and a confidante of his.

Princess Eugenie was also in attendance.

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More on the history of Chester Cathedral: "The cathedral is a Grade I listed building, and part of a heritage site that also includes the former monastic buildings to the north, which are also listed Grade I. The cathedral, typical of English cathedrals in having been modified many times, dates from between 1093 and the early 16th century, although the site itself may have been used for Christian worship since Roman times. All the major styles of English medieval architecture, from Norman to Perpendicular, are represented in the present building. The cathedral and former monastic buildings were extensively restored during the 19th century (amidst some controversy), and a free-standing bell-tower was added in the 20th century. The buildings are a major tourist attraction in Chester. In addition to holding services for Christian worship, the cathedral is used as a venue for concerts and exhibitions."

A look at the Shrine of St Werburgh inside.

The Mail Online reported: "Prince William, Prince Harry and the Duchess of Cambridge are all regular visitors to the Grosvenor properties. Lady Tamara is married to Prince William's best friends, Edward van Cutsem, and William and Harry were both ushers at their wedding in 2004."

More on the service from the Chester Chronicle:

'Prince William read the Garter Prayer, part of the annual service for Knights of the Order of the Garter, with which the late Duke had been honoured.

Lady Edwina, the late Duke’s second daughter and a campaigner for prisoner reform and rehabilitation, delivered an emotional reading titled ‘A letter to my father’.

Grosvenor Estate has revealed an excerpt from the letter, which read:
“You taught me so much.
"Fight for what you believe in.
"Don’t ever give up.
"If you are knocked down, dust yourself off... and get back on your feet.”

Distinguished tenor Ian Bostridge CBE accompanied by Andrew Wyatt, assistant director of music at Chester Cathedral, performed Panis Angelicus by Cesar Franck. Readings were also given by the 7th Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, who read his father’s favourite poem, If, by Rudyard Kipling, and Richard Lyttleton, cousin of the late Duke, who read Revelation 21: 1-7.'

A portion of Rudyard Kipling's 'If' - a beautiful poem which was the late Duke's favourite as mentioned above - a very fitting choice for his son to read today.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 

    If all men count with you, but none too much; 

If you can fill the unforgiving minute 

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son! 

William and Kate leaving the service.

Kate was attired in black for the service.

Kate's choice of coat will be familiar to many. The Duchess wore the black Alexander McQueen coat she debuted at Remembrance Sunday in 2015. It's lovely to see the piece in its entirety - it's a very chic garment.

The coat is believe to be a bespoke piece based on the similar Velvet Trim Double-Breasted Wool Coat. Below we see it at Lane Crawford where it retailed for $2,045. The heavyweight piece is described as "an utterly irresistible concoction of virgin wool and velvet, creating a dramatic standout look".

Lane Crawford

Kate wore a black dress underneath. Below, a look at the neckline.

The Duchess wore her new black John Boyd hat (with thanks to Anna) and accessorised with the Queen's pearl and diamond earrings.

It would appear these earrings are at Kate's disposal at the moment. The Duchess first wore them during the Canada tour. The amazing Anna noted: "The Countess of Wessex wore these only one time to a royal wedding in 2012 (while wearing other jewels on loan from the Queen). HM wore these back in 1977 during her silver jubilee." Below, we see Kate wearing them in the Netherlands last month.

Kate carried her Pretty Ballerinas /Mascaro black velvet clutch.

And completed the look with her black Gianvito Rossi pumps.

Gianvito Rossi

It seemed very appropriate for William and Kate to attend the service today. The Duke of Westminster was a great friend to the Royal family over the years and the huge turnout for his memorial is testament to the high esteem in which he was held. The Duchess looked very appropriate for the nature of the occasion too. For those asking, there is nothing announced for Kate's diary at present. Prince William has a few on his calendar, so I would be surprised if something isn't announced shortly. We'll update our 'Kate's Calendar' section on the sidebar the moment we hear of anything.