King Charles has embraced the magic of the festive season with impressive décor across his entire property portfolio. From gorgeous garlands and traditional wreaths through to decadent table settings and giant trees with thousands of lights, there has been no expense spared. It's the trees that have left his fans in disagreement, however.
The Royal Collection Trust is a registered charity dedicated to "the care and conservation of the Royal Collection" and in charge of royal exhibitions. The RCT team often ask for public comment on displays or exhibitions, to gauge interest for future plans. On Wednesday, they showcased four of Charles' spectacular trees and asked their 800,000 followers to vote on which was their favourite. The post read: "Which is your favourite Christmas tree? 1. St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle 2. Throne Room, Palace of Holyroodhouse 3. Crimson Drawing Room, Windsor Castle 4. Great Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse. Tell us in the comments using the number of your favourite (1-4) and we’ll share more images of the winning tree tomorrow."
Each of the stunning trees received votes in the poll, but the clear winner was the St George's Hall beauty with 56 per cent of the vote at the time of publishing. It certainly is the biggest one of the four, coming in at 20 feet tall! This year marks a departure from traditional red decorations, as the team has gone for a green and gold colour combination instead. And not forgetting the 3,000 twinkling lights, bringing the festive magic.
Our very own Digital Content Director, Andrea Caamano, disagrees with the majority of people, though, and votes for number two. "My favourite tree will always be the one in the Crimson Drawing Room - it’s simply the most stunning room," she said.
"I’ve been previewing the Windsor Castle Christmas decorations for over three years now, and while I’m blown away every year, this year feels extra special," she said. "The decorations on the 20-metre tree in St George’s Hall are brand new. Some are as large as footballs, and honestly, you just can’t appreciate their scale in photos - if you can, I highly recommend seeing them in person," she added.
© Getty ImagesThe comments section of the RCT's post was full of differing opinions, with many declaring their love for number one, the 20-ft one in St George's Hall, but lots of other ones garnering praise too. "2 and 3 are my favourite. Both give it a cozy home vibe," penned one fan, and: "Love them all but 1 and 2," added another. A third wrote: "This is a very difficult call…for me it’s between 1 and 4, with 4 just edging it I think."
Did you know Christmas trees are linked to royalty?
It is commonly believed that Christmas trees were first brought to England from Germany by Prince Albert, but the English Heritage website explains the truth behind this story: "Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's consort, is usually credited with having introduced the Christmas tree into England in 1840. However, it was actually 'good Queen Charlotte', the German wife of George III, who set up the first known tree at Queen's Lodge, Windsor, in December 1800. [But in] December 1840, Prince Albert [did] import several spruce firs from his native Coburg, in Germany, to serve as Christmas trees."
What are King Charles' Christmas plans?
© GC ImagesEach year, the royal family gather at Sandringham in Norfolk to celebrate the festive season together. Presents are exchanged on Christmas Eve, while Christmas Day morning is reserved for a visit to church. Royal fans often wait outside of St Mary Magdalene church to greet the family on such a special occasion. On Christmas Day last year, King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla were joined by: the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children; Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and his son, Christopher Wolfie; Mike and Zara Tindall and their children; and Peter Phillips and his children.
