The First Christmas Tree in England
It was the British royal family’s German connections which led to the introduction of the Christmas tree custom in England.
King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte — who was of German descent– arranged for a great yew tree to be erected inside the Queen’s Lodge at Windsor on December 25 1800.
A party of children of the local great-and-good was to take place that Christmas Day, and she had the tree decorated with toys, sweetmeats, fruits and nuts wrapped in wax paper. The whole thing was then lit with small candles.
She kept a Christmas tree in the royal family every year thereafter.
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria popularized the custom in England particularly after a lithograph in The Illustrated London News in the winter of 1848 showed the rest of the country the royal Christmas tree with family gathered around it.
Interesting ! I knew Prince Alert had a lot to do with this but had not read that Queen Charlotte had brought the custom in before him.
Thank you for this great tid bit on the origin of this mor modern tradition.