The Christmas Tree’s Royal Roots: How Queen Victoria Popularized This Holiday Staple

Queen Victoria has an evergreen connection to the Christmas tree.

The holiday decoration staple, which is ubiquitous this time of year, has royal roots that many may not know about — Queen Victoria helped popularize the Christmas tree during her reign.

The Christmas tree originally dates back to before Christmas, tying into how ancient civilizations celebrated the Winter Solstice, according to Texas A&M University. Evergreen plants were used to symbolize light during the darkest time of the year — winter.

In the early 19th century, Ernst Anschütz’s German Christmas carol "O Tannenbaum" celebrated the tree's constant presence during the long dark winter.

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Despite Christmas being a Christian holiday, the solstice was still celebrated in conjunction with the religious holiday throughout Europe with evergreen trees, especially German Protestants. However, English Puritans rejected the tree on the basis that it didn't have Biblical roots, according to Texas A&M University.

According to Country Living, the first decorated Christmas tree close to what is popular today originated in 16th-century Germany. Martin Luther is believed to be responsible for decorating the trees with candles in the 1500s.

It wasn't until Queen Victoria's German roots publicly influenced the English-speaking world. Queen Victoria’s mother, Marie Louise Victoria the Duchess of Kent, was German, along with Queen Victoria's paternal grandmother.

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Prince Albert, also German, sent trees to schools and army forts around the holiday season, but the tree trend took off with the help of an 1848 etching which made their tradition public knowledge.

The image featuring Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their family celebrating brought the tree to a broader audience. The royal family was pictured gathered around an evergreen tree decorated with candles and hanging ornaments.

According to the BBC, they practiced this tradition annually, bringing the tree into Windsor Castle on Christmas Eve. The royal family would also exchange gifts that evening, as per the Royal Collection Trust.

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The drawing was published in the Illustrated London News that year. Soon, their traditions became popularized as families would bring trees indoors — it was previously customary to include a branch or some mistletoe — and decorate them with candles and treats.

Trimming Christmas trees caught on quickly, which was no surprise since Queen Victoria was a popular monarch and many thought of her as a trendsetter. Along with the Christmas tree, she also popularized the white wedding dress.

Charles Dickens, who wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, wrote the short story A Christmas Tree seven years later about the beloved decoration.

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The placement of Christmas trees in public settings became popular in the 20th century and continued into the 21st century.

In 1923, First Lady Grace Coolidge gave the  District of Columbia Public Schools her blessing to place a Christmas tree on the White House's South Lawn, as per the National Park Service. This became the first National Christmas Tree

In 1931, Rockefeller Center in New York City held its first Christmas tree lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season, which has become a yearly tradition broadcast nationally.

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Now, King Charles carries on the tradition with sustainability in mind. In 2023, he announced that he would replant the living tree following the holiday season. 

The tree was decorated with “natural and sustainable decorations” such as pinecones, oranges and paper. 

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