At the beginning of the nineteenth century, King George III’s German-born wife Charlotte gave a Christmas party for children in which she displayed a small tree decorated with lights and sugar ornaments, a custom unknown in Britain at the time. Christmas trees would go on to delight children of the royal family for decades to come, and are now a cornerstone of Christmas throughout the United Kingdom and beyond. 

A Royal Christmas is the first official publication to explore the fascinating Christmas traditions of royalty past and present. Drawing on many previously unpublished objects and images from the Collection, this lavishly illustrated book offers insight into the influence and charm of royal festivities.

In this beautiful gift book, expect to see royal Christmas dinner menus and recipes; Queen Victoria’s account of Prince Albert falling through the ice while skating; photographs of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret performing Aladdin at Windsor’s Christmas pantomime; exquisitely festive jewelry, cards, and gifts; and many more holiday delights. Full of charming anecdotes, potted histories, and glittering photographs, A Royal Christmas is the perfect gift for the season.

Louise Cooling is curator of paintings at Royal Collection Trust. She was previously assistant curator of paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
 

Categories

• History / Europe / Great Britain / Georgian Era (1714-1837)

Product Details

ISBN: 9781909741560
ISBN-10: 1909741566
Publisher: Royal Collection Trust
Publication Date: December 15th, 2018
Pages: 144
Language: English

“A charming holiday book . . . . Thanks to the detailed chronology and prodigious writing about the Royal Family, we have a mirror into how holidays attain their ritualist power through small, seemingly inconsequential things. Our Christmases lack the pomp of nobility, but they are connected to kings and queens more than we might realize. The book is handsome proof of that.”
— Houston Chronicle

“Skillfully weaves historical information with photographs into an attractive and thoughtful design.” 
— Patricia Treble