With many Christmas markets and events taking place this weekend, let us kick off the Christmas season with taking a look at Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's christmas customs
After Prince Albert’s death, Queen Victoria spent Christmas at Osborne House (Isle of Wight) where the family gathered for the celebrations. But before Queen Victoria was plunged into mourning, the Royal Family spent many happy Christmases at Windsor Castle. The traditions established by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are still held in the Royal Family. One of these traditions is to have two Christmas trees: one for the Royal Family and another one for the Royal Household. But this was not always like that: At the very beginning, every member of the family had their own Christmas tree at Windsor Castle.
Because the first image of a Christmas tree surrounded by the Royal Family was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848, many believe that Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree to England. In fact, Prince Albert popularised the tradition but he was not the first to have a Christmas tree.
King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte held a festive party for children in Windsor in 1800 and a Christmas tree was a centerpiece of the celebrations. These trees were decorated with candles, paper flowers and sweets in the 1790s.
The 13 year old Princess Victoria wrote in her diary on Christmas Eve 1832 how "After Mamma had rung a bell three times we went in [the dining room]. There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the
tree."
The Royal Family followed the German tradition of exchanging unwrapped gifts on Christmas Eve, rather than on Christmas Day. Victoria was already accustomed with these German traditions from her childhood Christmases with her German mother.
Having fond memories of his childhood christmases in Germany, Prince Albert wanted to keep the tradition alive for his own children. From 1840, the year he married Queen Victoria, Springelbaum trees were imported from Coburg and placed around Windsor Castle, with several others donated to local schools and army barracks.
In 1848, the illustrated London News published an illustration (located at the top of the page), which depicts the royal couple around a tree with their children. From then on, ordinary families began adopting the custom, which has since become the ultimate Christmas tradition.
The Royal Family's trees were decorated with gilded walnuts, gingerbread, small baskets of bonbonnières, eggs filled with sweetmeats and a dozen wax tapers on each tier.
The candles on the trees would be lit when the presents were exchanged. The candles would also be illuminated on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and on Twelfth Night to mark the end of the festive period. Gingerbread decorations would also be hung from the trees on the final day of celebrations.
In 1845 (three years before the popular illustration of the Royal Family around the christmas tree was Published) an illustration by the London Illustrated News was published of The London Mission Society Christmas tree which was erected in Cripplegate Temperance Hall for their ‘pleasing celebration of the season’ for 400 children. And by 1847, two years later The Illustrated London News began printing articles on advising its readers on ‘How to Make a Christmas Tree'
The popularity of decorated Christmas trees grew quickly, and with it came a market for tree ornaments in bright colours and reflective materials. The improvement of mass production and commercialism meant that reusable ornaments could be purchased. The first advertisements for tree ornaments appeared in 1853.
In 1854 the custom had grown so widespread amongst the middle and upper-class that there was a target market to sell them to. In December 1854 a range of christmas trees were being sold in Covent Garden.
© Queen Victoria’s Revival 2024
This article is the intellectual property of Queen Victoria Revival and should not be COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances unless permission is given by the author