World News

Prince George's godfather, billionaire Duke of Westminster, gave $15.6M to UK coronavirus relief charities

British billionaire Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is donating $12.5 million to his country's coronavirus relief efforts -- and that's on top of the $3.1 million he gave last month.

Posted Updated

By
David Williams
, CNN
CNN — British billionaire Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is donating $12.5 million to his country's coronavirus relief efforts -- and that's on top of the $3.1 million he gave last month.

He's giving $6.2 million to NHS Charities Together to create a foundation to support National Health Service workers and their families, a news release from the Westminster Foundation states, describing the donations in British pounds.

"On behalf of my family and everyone at the Grosvenor Estate, I want to say a huge thank you to all our amazing NHS staff and everyone providing critical frontline services. We are all humbled and incredibly grateful that you are working tirelessly to keep us safe and keep the country functioning," Grosvenor said in a statement

Another $3.8 million will go to coronavirus medical research and development, and $2.5 million will go to charities and organizations that help people facing the greatest economic and social impact from the coronavirus pandemic.

"While the impact of this crisis is being felt immediately, the virus will sadly also affect people's lives long into the future. That's why I'm keen to support the longer-term scientific and socio-economic response to the epidemic. Through these donations, my Foundation will work with a range of fantastic charities and organisations who are able to help vulnerable people in the difficult months ahead," he said in the statement.

In March, Grosvenor gave $3.1 million to charities that are helping get food to families that normally rely on free school meals for their children.

The 29-year-old is ranked No. 102 on Bloomberg's Billionaires Index and has a net worth of approximately $12.7 billion, the agency reports.

His family has one of the largest privately owned real estate companies in the world and owns some of London's most exclusive and expensive properties.

Grosvenor was named one of Prince George's seven godparents when the 6-year-old heir to the British throne was christened in 2013.

Copyright 2024 by Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.