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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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