Duchess Of Cambridge To Conduct Solo Visit To Luxembourg In May

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Luxembourg on 11 May at the request of the Foreign Office, Kensington Palace has announced.

She will attend the commemoration of the 1867 Treaty of London (also called the Second Treaty of London), which reaffirmed the personal union between the Netherlands and Luxembourg under the House of Orange-Nassau and reaffirmed the neutrality of Luxembourg, which was established by the First Treaty of London.

To ensure Luxembourg's neutrality the westward fortifications of Luxembourg City were to be demolished and never to be rebuilt. Their neutrality was especially important after the Luxembourg crisis erupted when French Emperor Napoleon III attempted to buy Luxembourg from King William III.

An independent Luxembourg was of paramount importance to Prussia. The personal union between the Netherlands and Luxembourg ended in 1890 when Queen Wilhelmina ascended the Dutch throne. Luxembourg still knew, which barred women from the throne and as such, Queen Wilhelmina could not become Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. An older branch of the House of Nassau inherited Luxembourg.

The personal union between the Netherlands and Luxembourg ended in 1890 when Queen Wilhelmina ascended the Dutch throne. Luxembourg still knew salic law, which barred women from the throne and as such, Queen Wilhelmina could not become Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. An older branch of the House of Nassau inherited Luxembourg.

The Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Luxembourg is added to a schedule of other European engagements, including an official visit to Poland and Germany in July, which she will visit with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge,  at the specific request of the Foreign Office. The couple recently returned from a two-day visit to Paris. They are not the only British to visit Europe, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are visiting Romania, The Papal See and Austria.