Duchess of Cambridge pays tribute to Bletchley Park codebreakers

The Duchess of Cambridge today visited a restored Bletchley Park - the site of the famous Second World War code-breakers where her late grandmother worked.

She toured the WWII Codebreaking Huts and was told of the achievements of the Codebreakers whose work is said to have helped shorten the war by two years, saving millions of lives.

During her visit she met a veteran who recalled working with The Duchess’s paternal grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, at Bletchley Park during the war.

The veteran, Lady Marion Body, told the duchess of her memories of working with Valerie and her twin sister, Mary.

She said she remembered being at work with the sisters when they heard that the war in Europe had ended.

Miss Valerie Glassborow was a civilian member of staff of the Government Code and Cypher School and worked in Hut 16 (now restored Hut 6).

Documents dated October 1944 show that she was probably a “Duty Officer”.

During her tour Kate was shown around Hut 6, which is a number of reconstructed code-breaking Huts, and which we believe is the Hut that her grandmother was based.

She also met veterans and chatted with Lady Body about her grandmother.

Her tour of the park marks the completion of a year-long restoration project, which has returned the buildings to their Second World War appearance and created new visitor facilities.

Bletchley Park, a country estate near Milton Keynes before it was bought in 1938 by the Government, housed as many as 10,000 people at its wartime peak.

The success of the park’s code-breakers in breaking the German cypher systems Enigma and Lorenz was crucial in defeating the Nazis.

During her visit she met code-breaker veterans, view the interactive exhibitions and demonstrations, and met the design and management team and supporters who worked to deliver the project.