Three cheers for the billionaire bride and groom! Thousands celebrate on streets of Chester for Duke of Westminster's wedding

As the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Westminster emerged from the huge floral-clad doorway of Chester Cathedral on Friday, a ripple of applause and cheers rang out from the crowd of thousands waiting outside.

Then, as the couple leant in for a kiss, out went the cry of "hip hip hooray" as three cheers echoed around the historic St Werbugh Street.

It was a scene of utter joy in the packed city centre. It could only be marred, momentarily, by an orange smoke bomb by Just Stop Oil protesters which was greeted with boos by a crowd who were here to roar only their fierce approval for this society union.

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The billionaire Duke, Hugh Grosvenor, and his new Duchess Olivia were all smiles on their wedding day, which was attended by some 400 VIPs and royal friends including Prince William and Princess Eugenie heading out to Cheshire for the occasion.

Thousands more (unofficial) guests turned up outside, phones held aloft on stretched arms and tiptoes in a bid to get the slightest peek at the happy couple.

In return, the Duke and Duchess laid on free ice creams at three vendors in the city throughout the day as their wedding gift to their dedicated well-wishers.

The most devoted royal watchers had staked their place by 6.30am outside the cathedral, keen to spy the Duke's usher Prince William, as well as other VIPs and dignitaries on the guest list.

Royal fans included 61-year-old Johanna Boeven who got up at 5am to get the bus from her home in Flint to make it to the wedding as early as possible.

Dressed in a Union Jack cape, with a Princess Diana handbag and replica of the Queen's watch, she proudly recalled how she attended the weddings of both Prince William and Prince Harry in London in recent years.

She dropped a card off for the Duke of Westminster to wish them luck last night, and took her place as close as possible to the Chester Cathedral doorway to see the newlywed couple on Friday. It was clear to see how much the day meant to her.

She said: "I told my boss I needed the day off for this one, and he gave me three! I love all the royals and I write to the King every year on his birthday."

Sue Hutchings, 64, from Holywell headed to watch with her son Rob, 39, from Chester. She said: "You don't get this sort of thing very often in Chester so it's a bit of an occasion. It's a chance to see Prince William and we hope he might bring Prince George."

Sadly Prince George was not among the guests, but royal fans did get to see Princess Eugenie, dressed in a stylish green dress as she headed to the ceremony with friends.

Seasoned royal watcher Janice Cheers, 61, from Wigan, had also been hoping for a sighting of Prince George - and was well prepared for the day out in Chester. She brought a special pull out stool so that she could rise above the crowds to see the guests when the moment arrived.

She said: "I'm a huge royal fan, I went down to the Platinum Jubilee on the mall, and we camped overnight on the mall for the Coronation of King Charles."

When the Duke and his new Duchess emerged from the Cathedral just before 1pm, there was huge excitement among the crowds. There were cheers as they shared a tender kiss.

They headed off in the vintage Bentley that Olivia had arrived in, driving in a full circle through the crowds and then on its way back the newlywed couple's new marital home, the sprawling Eaton Hall estate in nearby Eccleston.

While the Duke is known for his London property portfolio, owning "half of Mayfair" by all accounts, the couple have made it known that they are planning to make their home now in Cheshire.

When their wedding was first announced, they explained the reason for choosing Chester Cathedral as the location "for both its beauty and long association with the Grosvenor family, including to the Duke personally."

A spokesperson added at the time: "Cheshire is the Grosvenor family’s ancestral home and as Miss Henson’s connection to the region continues to grow, they are keen to plan their wedding there."

It meant a day of extraordinary glamour through the streets of Chester. Many guests who were staying at The Grosvenor estate's own luxury hotel The Chester Grosvenor tottered the short walk up to the Cathedral as the bells rang out on Friday.

It allowed onlookers to admire a multi-colour of fashions, feathery fascinators and a fair few kilts too among the VIP guests.

The bride's own look for her wedding day also prompted gasps and oohs and ahs from the crowd when she first emerged from her Bentley car.

The long train of 31-year-old Olivia's retro silk gown by designer Emma Victoria Payne billowed in the breeze and as she approached the church the unusual choice of blue shoes popped out from beneath her white dress.

They perfectly matched the wildflowers in her bouquet - made from the flowers of her new home at Eaton Hall. It featured meadow grass, Oxeye daisies, Iris, Rose, Clematis, Mock Orange, Scabious, Sweet Pea, Astrantia, Martagon Lily and Love-in-a-Mist.

Once the crowds began to disperse from the cathedral, the queues began to grow ever larger at the three ice cream shops serving up free treats all day for well-wishers - Krum Gelato, Diddy Donuts and Cheshire Ice Cream.

At Krum, owner Fabrizio Gobbato said he was excited to be a part of the special day. He said: "I’ve not personally met the Duke, but the wedding is exciting for the city. The ice cream initiative has been great, particularly at a time when we need that spark that ignites the enthusiasm of people to head back into the city centre."

Krum was also showcasing a special lemon sorbet flavour especially for the wedding day. It was inspired by the flavour of the Duke and Duchess' wedding cake, Mr Gobbato said.

For now, the wedding cake, and the celebrations at the wedding party, have been kept under wraps. Invited guests were whisked off from the cathedral over to Eaton Hall on Friday afternoon.

But for the thousands who headed into Chester on Friday, it was enough to have enjoyed a brief glimpse into the billionaire couple's special day.