Hugh Grosvenor donates £12.5m to NHS charities for coronavirus relief

Hugh Grosvenor the 7th Duke of Westminster, made a donation of £12.5 million to the nation's COVID-19 relief efforts in the battle against coronavirus. The 29-year-old is said to be making the donation from his personal fortune after making an initial donation in March.

Hugh Grosvenor, who happens to be the world's richest person under the age of 30, is also Prince George, the third heir to the British throne's, godfather. According to Hello, the duke made a donation of 2.5 million pounds in March which reportedly supported the charities providing essential services to the susceptible and vulnerable families at the time of the pandemic.

The latest donation, however, will be divided among different organisations. As per the report, the charity is made through Westminster Foundation and the money will be used to support efforts for long-term recovery from the virus outbreak. Five million pounds will be donated to NHS Charities Together and will be used to create a 'Family Fund' for NHS workers and their families as they continue to put everything at risk while assisting the general public in getting through the coronavirus crisis.

Three million pounds will be donated to the national medical research and development team working to understand the new disease better. And two million pounds will be donated to charities that are working to support the vulnerable sections of societies as they remain the hardest hit segment during the pandemic and nationwide lockdown.

Grosvenor said: "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.

"NHS staff and key workers don't work in isolation. They have children and families whose health and wellbeing will also be highly impacted by this crisis. As they keep us safe, I want to help provide as much support to them and their families as we can. Our donation will help create a Family Fund within NHS Charities Together to provide food, respite, rehabilitation, and positive mental health support to NHS staff and their families."

Grosvenor is also known as Earl Grosvenor. The British billionaire was given the title of Duke of Westminster on August 9, 2016, after the death of his father Gerald Grosvenor. In 2013, he was named a godfather to Prince George of Cambridge as he is a close friend of the British royal family.

According to The Guardian, the inequality campaigners suggest that Grosvenor's donation equates to just 0.1 percent of his wealth.

Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich South responded to duke's gift and said that his gift "won't even leave a dent" in his family fortune. While Lewis appreciates the generous gift but notes that the rich donators "have thrown into stark contrast the gross inequalities in society."