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The Windsor History Zone Index
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Royal Windsor Website Home Page
Windsor Castle and The
Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree on Castle
Hill, in December 1962
The first known
Christmas Tree was erected at Queen's Lodge, Windsor, by Queen
Charlotte, the German born wife of George III, for a party she
held on Christmas Day, 1800, for the children of the leading
families in Windsor. Her biographer Dr John Watkins describes
the scene:
In the middle
of the room stood an immense tub with a yew tree placed in it,
from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds,
and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged,
and the whole illuminated by small wax candles. After the company
had walked around and admired the tree, each child obtained a
portion of the sweets which it bore together with a toy and then
all returned home, quite delighted.
Christmas trees
were an established Royal institution in Britain long before
the custom spread to the general populace. Queen Adelaide always
had one and the young Princess Victoria recorded her delight
at the Christmas tree at Kensington Palace in 1832.
Prince Albert, who is often wrongly credited with
having brought the Christmas tree to Britain, certainly did most
to encourage its general adoption, The Christmas Tree at Windsor
Castle was featured in The Illustrated London News of 1848 and
this inspired the imitation. Albert also presented large numbers
of trees to schools and Army barracks at Christmas.
In the USA despite strong German influence there
is no record of the Christmas tree before 1855 while the French
only adopted the idea after 1870.
The first Christmas tree lit with electric bulbs
was installed in New York City by Edward H Johnston an associate
of Thomas Edison in December 1882. The latter's company manufactured
the first commercially produced Christmas tree lamps and advertised
them in the December 1901 issue of Ladies Home Journal.
The first communal Christmas tree was instituted
by the town of Pasadena, California, where an illuminated tree
has been set up annually since 1909.
Windsor's Tree,
Castle Hill
Here in Windsor,
every December, a 25 ft. high decorated Christmas Tree from the
Crown Estates, Windsor Great Park is erected immediately behind
the Queen Victoria statue which stands at the entrance to Windsor
Castle. The custom dates from 1947, the first year that Oslo's
gift tree was erected in Trafalgar Square, London, as a thank
you for Britain's assistance to Norway in the second World War.
On an evening a few days before Christmas a
Carol Service is held around the tree. The Choir of St. George's
Chapel and local churches with a Regimental Band from the Guards
combine to make this a memorable annual event.
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