WELCOME
TO THE
BRITISH-LUXEMBOURG
SOCIETY
The British-Luxembourg Society was founded on 24 April 1947. It is a non-profit association which strives to deepen, maintain and develop the bonds of friendship that exist between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Great Britain.
D’British-Luxembourg Society ass den 24 Abrëll 1947 gegrënnt ginn. Et ass eng Non-profit Associatioun, déi déi frëndschaftlech Bezéiungen tëscht dem Grand-Duché an Groussbritannien verdéiwen, ënnerhalen and developpéiere wëll.
© Ben Carter
WELCOME
TO THE
BRITISH-LUXEMBOURG
SOCIETY
The British-Luxembourg Society was founded on 24 April 1947. It is a non-profit association which strives to deepen, maintain and develop the bonds of friendship that exist between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Great Britain.
D’British-Luxembourg Society ass den 24 Abrëll 1947 gegrënnt ginn. Et ass eng Non-profit Associatioun, déi déi frëndschaftlech Bezéiungen tëscht dem Grand-Duché an Groussbritannien verdéiwen, ënnerhalen and developpéiere wëll.
OUR HISTORY
On the 24th of April 1947 – more than 70 years ago – Twenty-three Luxembourgers, among them the future Luxembourgish Prime Minister and ‘father of the euro’ Pierre Werner (1913-2002) and one Brit founded the British-Luxembourg Society.
Motivated by their admiration and gratitude to the United Kingdom and its people, whose fight against the Nazi regime helped Luxembourgers recover their liberty and national independence, they wanted to bring the United Kingdom, its people and culture, closer to the Luxembourgers, who at that time had little knowledge about the British people. Accordingly, the British-Luxembourg Society states its aims in the first article of its Statutes in the following way: “Elle a pour but d’approfondir et de resserrer les liens d’amitié qui existent si heureusement entre la Grande-Bretagne et le Grand-Duché de Luxembourg d’autre part, à l’exclusion de toutes tendances et considérations politiques et confessionnelles.” Right from the beginning, its purpose mirrored that of the Luxembourg Society in London, its sister association, founded five years earlier, in 1942.
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL LECTURES
Over the years we have had the privilege to host this annual event and invite a series of eminent speakers from the British political, economic or cultural world.
Past speakers have included: The Rt. Hon. Baroness Thatcher, former British Prime Minister; The Rt. Hon. Lord Kinnock, former Vice-President of the European Commission; The Rt. Hon. Lord George, former Governor of the Bank of England; The Rt. Hon. Lord Hurd of Westwell, former British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and The Rt. Hon. Lord Patten of Barnes, former European Commissioner for External Relations, last Governor of Hong Kong and Chancellor of Oxford University.
The speakers gave a lecture on their topic of choice, generally but not always a European theme.
THIS YEAR’S LECTURE
The Right Honourable Dominic Grieve, KC
We are honoured to welcome The Right Honourable Dominic Grieve, KC, a former British politician who served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2008 to 2009 and Attorney General for England and Wales from 2010 to 2014. He is currently the President of the Franco-British Society and the Interim Chairman of our Sister organisation in the UK, The Luxembourg Society (Est. 1942)
News
BLS Educational Awards Programme
The British-Luxembourg Society (BLS), working together with the Luxembourg Society in the UK, is proud to announce the establishment of a new educational awards programme
Save the Date: The Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Lecture 2025
We are honoured to welcome The Right Honourable Dominic Grieve, KC, a former
British politician who served as Shadow Home Secretary
Save the Date: Annual General Meeting 2025
Annual General Meeting as an Ordinary General Meeting held extraordinarily on Monday 3 March 2024 at 18:30 CET
OUR COURSES
The British-Luxembourg Society helps to support members personal development through our educational evening classes.
These courses help members to acquire skills, not only in English Language but also in English Literature, Luxembourgish Conversation and Art.
Conversational Luxembourgish (Upper Intermediate)
2025-04-25 00:00 - 2025-07-04 00:00 (taught by Christelle Schiltz)Conversational Luxembourgish (Lower Intermediate)
2025-04-22 00:00 - 2025-06-30 00:00 (taught by Sandra BOSSI)Conversational Luxembourgish (Beginner)
2025-04-22 00:00 - 2025-06-30 00:00 (taught by Sandra BOSSI)English Literature for Advanced Students (Advanced)
2025-02-04 00:00 - 2025-06-17 00:00 (taught by Chris Atkinson)English Language: Writing, Grammar, Conversation (Intermediate)
2025-01-28 00:00 - 2025-06-03 00:00 (taught by Tallarico Rosella)Art: Practical Drawing and Watercolour Course (Beginner)
2025-02-25 00:00 - 2025-05-06 00:00 (taught by Elsa Charalampous)Art: Practical Drawing and Watercolour Course (Intermediate)
2025-02-26 00:00 - 2025-03-07 00:00 (taught by Elsa Charalampous)THE COUNCIL
Chris ATKINSON
Vice-President, Education
Likendin
PATRONS
Hubert Wurth
Patron
Luxembourgish - Graduated in law (Paris II) and in political sciences (Paris IEP). Ambassador of Luxembourg in the UK from 2007 to 2011, and previously in the USSR, the Netherlands, to the UN in NY, and in France between 1989 and 2007. His last posting was Vienna, until spring 2017. In parallel he was active as an abstract painter, and he continues his activity in this field. He has two daughters.
Sir Nicholas Forwood, KC
Patron
British - Educated at Cambridge University, a former judge of the General Court of the Court of Justice of the EU (1999-2015), after a career as a barrister in London and Brussels. He now lives in Luxembourg.
HE. Ms Fleur Thomas, Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador, Luxembourg
Patron-ex officio.
British - Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador, Luxembourg Previous roles include Head of Exports, Security, Policy and Operations at the Ministry of Defence from 2018 to 2021 and Regional Director, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central & South Asia, Defence and Security Organisation at the Department for International Trade from 2016 to 2018. Prior to 2016 she had various roles within the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations as well as Associate Lecturer and Consultant for the Open University, among other posts. Fleur holds a First Class Honour Degree in Land Management, an MSc in Development Management, and an MBA. She is a Fellow of the Westminster Abbey Institute.
Patrick SANTER
Patron
Luxembourgish - Vice-President of the Council of State of Luxembourg and Chairman of its committee on economics and finance. Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg from October 1999 until March 2009. Member of the Luxembourg Bar since 1995.
HONORARY MEMBERS
David and Marilyn CLARK
Honorary Members
British - David was President of the British-Luxembourg Society 2018 - 2021 Educated at Oxford University his career in the international banking and finance industry has taken him from London to Cairo, New York, Stockholm and Luxembourg, most recently with the European Investment Bank. He is Chairman of the Oxford University Society of Luxembourg.
