A Victorian Christmas at Windsor Castle

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert married in February 1840. They celebrated every one of their 20 Christmases together at Windsor Castle. Their gifts to family and friends were arranged on tables decorated with seasonal foliage and small individual Christmas trees. Gifts were exchanged on Christmas Eve, 24 December, in keeping with the German tradition. The gifts celebrated places they had visited during the previous year, the couple’s interest in art and jewellery design, and often featured images of their nine children. Today, the Royal Family maintain the German tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.