From today (Thursday, 27 November), Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, will offer visitors a festive experience steeped in royal history.
In St George’s Hall, the largest room in the Castle, a towering, 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree grown in Windsor Great Park will be decked with over three thousand sparkling lights and shimmering green and gold ornaments, while dramatic garlands will adorn the room’s balconies beneath the famous vaulted ceiling.
In the Crimson Drawing Room, one of the ornate Semi-State Rooms only open during the winter months, the rich red silk walls and gilded details will provide a sumptuous backdrop for another dazzling, 16-foot-high Christmas tree.
Inside the miniature world of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, visitors will discover a 45cm tall Christmas tree and festive garlands, complete with ornaments made from glass beads repurposed from vintage necklaces, and tiny candles made with real candle wax.
The Undercroft Café, located in the oldest part of the Castle, will serve a special seasonal menu, perfect for warming up after a stroll around the Castle precincts.
For the first time, £1 tickets will be available for visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits to see the Christmas decorations at Windsor Castle, with up to six tickets available per household.
Tours of the Castle’s Great Kitchen, the oldest working kitchen in the country, will be available to add on to a standard ticket on select days over the Christmas period.
Festive Family Fun activities during the Christmas holidays, inspired by Victorian traditions, will include arts and crafts activities where children can create a Christmas memento to take home. Local school and community choirs will be singing Christmas carols on select days under the Christmas tree in St George’s Hall.
The income from visitor admissions and purchases contributes to the care and conservation of the Royal Collection and helps Royal Collection Trust to share it with everyone, wherever they are.
Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection and welcoming visitors to the royal palaces. We bring our shared history to life through world-class experiences that involve and inspire people, wherever they are. Income from tickets and retail sales helps us to conserve the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone for generations to come.
The Royal Collection is one of the world’s great art collections, held in trust by The King for his successors and the nation. With over a million objects, from paintings, drawings and books to sculpture, furniture and jewellery, it is a unique record of the tastes of British kings and queens over the past 500 years, with many items still used today for their original purpose. The Collection can be seen in palaces, museums and galleries across the UK and around the world, and can be explored online at www.rct.uk.
