How the Royal Family Decorates Their Palaces for the Holidays
Deck the historic halls! Over in the United Kingdom, the British royal family have adorned their palaces with wreaths, ribbons, and giant Christmas trees.
A 30-foot fir was recently raised in front of Kensington Palace, the home of the Cambridges and Sussexes. Workers in cherry pickers adorned the majestic tree with sparkling lights and gold orb ornaments.
Meanwhile, at Buckingham Palace, three trees were put in its Marble Hall. Hung with lights, red bows, and a plethora of royal-theme ornaments—think crowns and carriages—the firs came from the grounds of Windsor Castle. Wrapped around the bannisters were garlands with colorful balls.
Over at Holyroodhouse, Queen Elizabeth’s Scottish residence, a giant red and gold tree was installed in the Throne Room beside a painting of Charles II. The Grand Staircase was hung with bows, white wreaths, and white lights.
Christmas trees, for the royal family, have a special significance. Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, brought the first Christmas tree to England in 1790, as they were a tradition in her home country of Germany. But it wasn’t the same type as today—Charlotte and her family had yew tree rather than the now-standard fir.
It was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (another German) who popularized the fir tree in Britain. Historians traced their Christmas custom back to the 1840s, and there are several photographs of Victoria, Albert, and their children gathered around the tree at Windsor Castle. Some point to a woodcut rendering in particular—which was published in a December 1848 edition of London Illustrated News—as a cultural catalyst. It caught the eye of the public, and soon, trees became a Christmas tradition in Britain and, after that, America. How’s that for a royal legacy?
