The Magna Carta will touch down in the Grand Duchy on 3 October 2015 after beginning its journey around the world yesterday onboard a British Airways flight from London Heathrow to New York.
To celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of the famous Magna Carta by King John Lackland, Hereford Cathedral and the GREAT Britain campaign are sending one of the 24 original copies of this historical document on a world tour which will see it visiting seven countries over four months.
Covering 105,000 km and crossing 25 time zones, thousands of people will get the opportunity to see with their own eyes this symbol of democracy and human rights.
The Luxembourg population will not be exempt from this experience, with the Magna Carta due to be displayed for the opening ceremony of the Court of Justice of the European Union and visible to the Court of Justice between 5 and 9 October. Following its stay at the Grand Duchy, the Magna Carta will depart for Asia, stopping at China and Singapore. The document will then return to Europe to be received by Malta and Portugal.
The British Airways flight captain who transported the Magna Carta from London-Heathrow to New York, Iain Aird, said: "VIPs travel with us regularly across the Atlantic, but with a value of €32.6 million, the Magna Carta and the Short Royal (King's Writ) are definitely the most valuable assets that we have had the honour of carrying. Having a historical document of such importance aroused great interest among the First Class passengers!"
Photo by British Airways
