British-Luxembourg Society Appoints New Council, Co-Presidents

On Tuesday 17 March 2026, the British-Luxembourg Society (BLS) announced the appointment of its new Council and Co-Presidents.

Following the society's Annual General Meeting (AGM), the newly elected Council confirmed the appointment of Michael-James Clifton and Fiona Urquhart Johnstone as Co-Presidents, "marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter" for the BLS.

The meeting brought together BLS members and guests and included a presentation by BLS Patron Hubert Wurth, who reflected on the history of Luxembourg, the many waves of globalisation and the power that comes from the knowledge of languages.

During the AGM, Michael-James Clifton announced the creation of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Award, the second of two BLS education awards. Established with the approval of King Charles III, the award honours the memory of the late Queen. It is open to Luxembourg residents pursuing short courses or postgraduate studies across the full spectrum of the arts, sciences, design, craft or conservation in the United Kingdom. The award is the counterpart to the H.R.H. the Grand Duke Jean Award, announced in 2025.

Speaking on behalf of the new Council, Jacqueline Spence expressed appreciation for the dedication and leadership shown by outgoing President Darren Robinson over the past six years - including three years as President and three as General Secretary - as well as the contributions of other departing Council members, notably General Secretary Alex Ludbrook-Miles, Vice President of Education Chris Atkinson and Council Member Yulia Kulakova.

As Immediate Past President, Darren Robinson will continue to support the society's work and remain closely engaged with the British-Luxembourg community through other roles, including with the British Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg (BCC) and as a founding member of the BCLUK Business Club Luxembourg-United Kingdom, a joint initiative of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Embassy in London.

The 2026 BLS Council comprises: Michael-James Clifton; Fiona Urquhart Johnstone; Diane Longden; Ingrid Baumann Ostermaier; Jacqueline Spence; Louise Benjamin; Lorraine Barclay; Yasmin Beg; Ian Berry; Christos Floros; Thomas Keipes; Debbie O'Keefe; Kateryna Okhrimenko; Laurent Peusch; Paul Schonenberg; Sam Vinandy-Lau; Gavin Hodgson; Sue Hewitt; Norry Welch.