Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics
Episode: The Windsor Winter Wonderland (episode 35)
Description: In 1800, Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, erected the first known Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. She hosted a party for the children of Windsor families. According to Dr. John Watkins, who wrote a biography of Queen Charlotte, the large yew tree stood in a tub in the middle of the drawing room at Queen’s Lodge. The branches were decorated with “bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged, and the whole illuminated by small wax candles.” Prince Albert popularized the Christmas tree. As he and Queen Victoria shared their family...