Tatler just released their “Social Power List” rankings for 2024. In previous years, the list has included King Charles and Camilla and/or Prince William and Kate. Not this year. Which is interesting, right? I would argue that both couples actually do have significant social power, but I would also argue that their clout and power is waning. Which seems to be Tatler’s thought process as well, since zero royals are included in their top ten. Instead, Tatler gave the top spot to Hugh Grosvenor and his new wife – they are the Duke and Duchess of Westminster.
The Duke and Duchess of Westminster have knocked the King and Queen off the top spot of the Tatler power list after the society wedding of the year. The list is described by Tatler as “an annual report into where the real power lies in British society”.
Thousands gathered outside Chester Cathedral to catch a glimpse of Hugh Grosvenor and Olivia Henson’s wedding, where the Prince of Wales was an usher. This year the King and Queen failed to make any of the high spots.
Also making the list was another newly wedded couple, Rupert Murdoch, 93, who tied the knot for a fifth time with Elena Zhukova, 67, a retired Russian molecular biologist, this month. Tatler noted: “When you’re the world’s most powerful media mogul, you have suitors falling at your feet forever.”
David Lammy, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, was at number two with his wife, the painter Nicola Green.
Model Poppy Delevingne, sister of actress Cara Delevingne, and Archie Keswick, made it to number 10, while England footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold and the daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost, the model Iris Law reached number five.
Just my opinion: I did not think that Hugh and Olivia’s wedding actually turned out to be the social event of the season or the biggest society wedding in years or whatever hype they said before the wedding. It really seemed like a relatively straight-forward “country wedding” at the local cathedral, with the bride and groom posing on plywood, and a nice reception at his estate. Now, I don’t doubt that Hugh and Olivia have a lot of financial/social/political power. He inherited one of the wealthiest estates in the UK. But Hugh and Olivia seem so low-key and like they’re not interested in flexing that power whatsoever. Anyway, it’s funny that zero royals made the top ten. While I know it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, Tatler is British society’s bible – that’s why the Princess of Wales freaked out the way she did in 2020 when Tatler did that “Catherine the Great” piece. It actually matters to the Windsors and the aristocrats that Tatler is saying that the Windsors have so little social clout.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- The wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster and Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
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- Wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster to Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral. Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor the Duke of Westminster and Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duke of Westminster marries Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK**
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- The Duke of Westminster marries Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral Featuring: Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke Of Westminster, Olivia Henson Where: Chester, United Kingdom When: 07 Jun 2024 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK**
Isn’t that interesting. They don’t even rank. The hits just keep coming.
If Hugh and Olivia have been annointed -the- power couple by Tatler, even if they appeared too low key to be that powerful, it says a lot about how much unseen sway they hold amongst the British elite.
The minute QE2 passed away it became blatantly obvious that the monarchy had declined. Having a slimmed down and literally diseased/ ill top just exacerbates the fall from power.
Wanting it to look like a chill country wedding seems very aristo. And the ceremony was. I want the reception details cuz that’s where I’d splash out.
Chill country wedding is the ultimate flex.
This!!
I would understand why Kate isn’t in the list, since she literally disappeared from the public life and Will has no appeal without Kate. I am surprised Camilla isn’t. She made sure to be visible during the chaos of KP and was doing events for the King. This doesn’t sound good for the firm.
“Her Majesty” will not be amused by this. I wonder what dirt she’s about to leak on the Westminsters…
Pretty sure the Wales would be more socially powerful if they were doing any actual work. The Westminsters being included when their weddings drew attention to them for months. Kate has barely been seen for months and William is too lazy to do anything at all.
The Wales seem to be conducting their roles through photo shoots (often with their kids to get maximum attention) and photo opportunities with celebrities . This is great for publicity in the short term but in the long term what do they have to show for their time as working royals? Glossy photos and instagram reels but little in the way of tangible projects or work that leaves a lasting impact. Certainly nothing to compare to Invictus, the Prince’s Trust or the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Remember when Harry said in Spare something to the tune of you aren’t considered whole until you’re married? This is called “The Social Power List.” I assumed there would be individuals on it. Nope. Just couples. Weird
Which is interesting, because the RF really didn’t want Harry to wed, from the sound of it.
The Wales were an international laughing stock for weeks. WHO knows what’s being whispered about them behind closed doors.
Didn’t Will say he saw himself as some sort of social leader recently? He’ll be so disappointed about not featuring in this poll but at least he was one of the ten ushers at Hugh’s wedding?
William and Charles, are deeply isolated, insular, and have to be surrounded by yes man and sycophants. Neither has ever cultivated the fellow members of the British elite. And William has turned Kate the same. Harry and even Pippa were both more social and less paranoid.
Love it for them.. they have ruined their own image and standing in society.
Why do they both look like Jojo Siwa?
This list makes sense since the Grovesnor family made C&C dropped out from one of their weddings, they didn’t attend this wedding probably as a payback for that and William couldn’t shut up about getting to be an usher for a family that his father probably can’t stand. Yes the Duke outranks socially the Windsors.
I used to read about great parties the queen mum had, and people would write about week or weekend hunting parties at Sandringham/Balmoral. But I don’t read about Charles or William throwing those big parties. Maybe that was just the times. The only time I read about William being social is attending a wedding – or vising the Rocksavages.
This nonadmission says a lot about the Windsors. For one thing they failed at trying to make that homewreacking hoe into a housewife, much less queen material. The King and his Heir keep making an issue of a relative living in the US instead of ignoring him. The Heir’s wife had been missing for a half a year while they released phony photos and and made up sitings. The Heir is more concerned with being on the global stage while showing little concern for what’s happening in his own country and social group. When the Heir was involved in a society occasion he made it all about himself to score points against his brother. And finally, the Heir and his wife’s marriage is on shaky ground. The Windsors have become a real life reality show. There is nothing high society about them.