Kate Middleton ‘immensely proud’ of code-cracker grandma who helped thwart Hitler in WWII

Kate Middleton’s grandmother was a code-cracker for Britain who helped foil Adolf Hitler. The Duchess of Cambridge has paid tribute to Valerie Glassborow, who was one of the many young women who worked at the Bletchley Park code-breaking station during World War II.

Glassborow, who worked alongside twin Mary at Bletchley, was one of the many young women who worked tirelessly to intercept and decrypted signals from the enemy camp. Their work was instrumental in the Allied victory in the Second World War. She and Mary worked with other code-breakers to unlock the secrets of the German Enigma machine.

Kate’s grandmother later married pilot Peter Middleton in 1946, though she remained mum about her significant contribution even from her family.

In the new book “The GCHQ Puzzle Book,” however, Prince William’s wife paid tribute to her grandmother and acknowledged her top secret work.

“I have always been immensely proud of my grandmother, Valerie Glassborow, who worked at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. She and her twin sister, Mary, served with thousands of other young women as part of the great Allied effort to break enemy codes. They hardly ever talked about their wartime service, but we now know just how important the men and women of Bletchley Park were, as they tackled some of the hardest problems facing the country,” the Duchess wrote the foreword of the book.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Heads Together campaign, which is led by Kate and Prince William and Prince Harry. Heads Together aims to raise mental health awareness and get rid of the stigma those with mental challenges face.

“William, Harry and I are very grateful that this book is supporting our Heads Together Campaign. I hope it will not only amuse and challenge readers, but help to promote an open discussion of mental health problems, which can affect anyone, regardless of age or background,” she continued. “Together, we are aiming to change the national conversation around mental health from stigma and fear to openness and understanding. Those who buy this book and support the Heads Together campaign will be playing a part in helping people and get the important mental health care they deserve.”

According to Vanity Fair, Glassborow died in 2006 at 82, five years before Kate married William. “The GCHQ Puzzle Book” has over 140 pages of codes, puzzles and challenges created by GCHQ (UK Government Communications Headquarters) expert code breakers in their spare time.

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