An invitation to our members from the Cambridge Society of Belgium – their invitation is reproduced below:

Friday, 27^th February 2026 from 6:30pm

The President and the Committee request the pleasure of your company at the Cambridge Society Annual Dinner 2026.

We are most pleased to announce that this dinner will be held once again at the prestigious Cercle Royal Gaulois, Rue de la Loi 5, 1000 Brussels.

The dress code is black tie or smart evening dress. Smart lounge suits and smart ladies’ business attire is acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are especially welcome.

Speaker and Guest of Honour

We are proud to welcome Lord Smith of Finsbury, the Chancellor, former Master of Pembroke and former Cabinet Minister, as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.

The Chancellor will talk on the subject of “What is a University For?”

About the Speaker and Guest of Honour: Chris Smith – The Chancellor

We are honoured to welcome Lord Chris Smith of Finsbury, Elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (July 2025), as our Speaker and Guest of Honour.

Lord Smith’s distinguished career spans politics, academia, and cultural leadership. Born in 1951 and educated in Edinburgh before attending Pembroke College, Cambridge, he achieved a double first in English and later completed a PhD on Wordsworth and Coleridge. He also spent a year at Harvard as a Kennedy Scholar. His political career began in local government and quickly progressed to national politics when he became MP for Islington South and Finsbury in 1983.

During his years in Parliament, he served in several Shadow Cabinet roles before being appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in 1997. In that role he restored free admission to national museums and galleries, expanded support for the arts and sport, and championed the creative industries at a time when their economic and cultural significance was becoming increasingly visible. He also oversaw the creation of NESTA, the Film Council, Creative Partnerships for schools, and the Foundation for Youth Music, helped initiate funding for Olympic athletes, and launched the national transition to digital television. He was the first openly gay Cabinet Minister in the world.

After returning to the back benches in 2001 and playing a leading role in opposing the Iraq war, he stepped down from the Commons in 2005 and entered the House of Lords. Alongside his parliamentary work, he has held numerous leadership roles across the cultural and public sectors, including Director of the Clore Leadership Programme, Chairman of the Environment Agency, Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, Chairman of the Art Fund, Chair of Judges for the Man Booker Prize, and Chair of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. He has also chaired Cambridge and South Staffs Water, served as Chair of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board, acted as a Non-Executive Director of PPL, and continues to support the Wordsworth Trust as Honorary President. From 2015 to 2025, he served as Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Dress Code
Black tie or smart evening dress is preferred. Smart lounge suits and ladies’ business attire are acceptable. Gentlemen are expected to wear ties. Academic attire and national costumes are warmly welcomed. We wish that all members and guests feel comfortable but formal dress is required.

Tickets & Registration
The Cercle Royal Gaulois has limited capacity, so early registration is strongly recommended. Please reserve your ticket by midnight, 20^th February 2026 via registration link pending.

Ticket Prices:

• Full Members & one guest: €79 per person
• Full Members aged 30 or under: €55 per person, with one guest at €79
• Reciprocating Cambridge Societies (Paris & Luxembourg) – Full Members & one guest: €79 per person.
• Non-Members and other guests: €95

Please note that no refunds for cancellations can be made after midnight on Friday, 20 February.

Click HERE to register and pay. Please note that this is the first time we are using Ticket Tailor for a paid event. It should save us a great deal of work. We’ve tested several means of payment – in particular the QR code is fast and efficient using your phone. Please only report bugs.