The Duke of Westminster has had £42,000 worth of designer wathces stolen after hiring decorators at his country estate.

A Cartier London Tank JC wristwatch worth £32,000 was among the timepieces stolen from Hugh Grosvenor’s bedroom at the billionaire aristocrat’s Eaton Hall mansion in Cheshire.

Also allegedly stolen were a Panerai Luminor Marina watch and a Breitling, which are worth £6,000 each.

Mr Grosvenor, 32, who is King Charles’s godson and godfather to Prince George, is reported to have discovered the watches were missing weeks after they were allegedly taken.

Two men were arrested and charged with burglary offences last week, according to The Times.

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Matthew Turner, 24, of Great Sutton, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court to burglary between August 7 and August 31 last year.

Mr Turner also admitted an unrelated theft of £60 from a tyre shop. He is due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on December 22. He has been released on unconditional bail.

Nathan Elliot, 30, of Whitby, also Ellesmere Port, was charged with handling the stolen Cartier watch, but pleaded not guilty so will face trial.

The Times reports that the two men were not working on the Duke’s bedroom, but in other areas of Mr Grosvenor’s country home.

According to the same publication, Scott Woodward, for the prosecution, said: “The Crown say this is not suitable to be dealt with in this court. The charge is a domestic burglary. The value of goods from the burglary is £42,000, a significant amount.”

He added that taking the value into account, the starting point for sentencing would be one year in custody.

Mr Woodward said: “The sentencing guidelines are clearly in excess of this court so I invite you to send it to the crown court.”

Steven Alis, Mr Turner’s lawyer, in remarks quoted by the Telegraph, said: “The category of harm here, related to the value of items and I agree the starting point is 12 months. But I am not saying that is what he is going to get.”

The Duke of Westminster, who was named by the Sunday Times as the richest person in Britain under the age of 35, was not in court to hear the proceedings.

Known to friends as “Hughie”, the Duke recently announced his engagement to Olivia Henson, with the wedding due to take place at Chester Cathedral on June 7 next year.

He became the seventh Duke of Westminster on the death of his father, Gerald Grosvenor, in 2016.

Mr Grosvenor was raised at Eaton Hall with his three sisters, Lady Tamara, Lady Edwina and Lady Viola.

His 10,872-acre Cheshire estate is private, but its gardens are open to the public three days a year in aid of charity.

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