A potted history of the Christmas tree in Britain

According to English Heritage in the UK the Christmas tree was first introduced in 1800 by the wife of King George III, Queen Charlotte, who brought the tradition from her native Germany, where it was common custom to have a yew tree in your home. She requested a yew tree be brought to Queen’s Lodge in Windsor, which she decorated herself.

Christmas trees became very popular with the upper classes, especially for children’s gatherings. Any handy evergreen tree might be uprooted for the purpose and they were usually candle-lit, decorated with trinkets and surrounded by piles of presents.

By the time of Queen Charlotte’s death in 1818, Christmas trees were a more popular British festive tradition. Victorian Christmas trees were decorated with candles, sweets, dried fruit and strands of popcorn. Ornaments were home-made from pine cones, tin, fabric, straw and paper. Tinsel, it may surprise you to know, was originally made from thin strips of beaten silver. However, as it tarnished easily, it was soon phased out for other metals.

In December 1840, Prince Albert imported several spruce firs from his native Coburg, in Germany, to serve as Christmas trees. But it was not until a few years later, when periodicals such as the Illustrated London News, Cassell’s Magazine and The Graphic began to depict and describe the royal Christmas trees every year, that the custom of setting up such trees in homes really caught on amongst the general public in England.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert became so closely linked to the tradition because they were famously illustrated standing beside a decorated tree with their children. The engraving was published in the press in the 1840s and it quickly took hold of the national imagination.

The first manufactured tree decorations were sold in Woolworths in 1860 and by this time Christmas trees were very popular with the middle classes. They would have had a Christmas tree in their parlour or hall, covered with candles, sweets, fruit, homemade decorations and small gifts.

Real Christmas trees were still the norm in the early 20th century, but the first bristle-style artificial tree was made by Addis Housewares Company in 1930.

Since 1947, every year Norway has given a large Christmas tree to Great Britain which is displayed in Trafalgar Square, London. During the Second World War, the Norwegian king and government fled to London when their country was occupied. The tree, therefore, is given as a token of gratitude to the people of London for their assistance.

This annual tradition shows the great symbolic importance of Christmas trees in Britain today.

The tradition of a turkey dinner on Christmas Day also began in the Victorian era

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert enjoyed turkey at Christmas time. They would sit together as a family for their main meal and enjoy the roasted bird with all the trimmings.

The various courses would include mince pies plus various starters, soups, and chipolatas. Later they indulged in a plum pudding.

Naturally finances influenced what families put on their Christmas tables in Victorian Britain. Where possible a festive bird remained central to a family dinner and for many this would have meant a goose, as Charles Dickens illustrates in A Christmas Carol.