King Charles's Christmas tree tradition spreads festive joy far and wide - and William will take on this special role one day

The Royal Family have quite a few halls to deck each Christmas time and the decorations at Clarence House and Windsor Castle wouldn’t be the same without a magnificent tree. We’ve already seen a glimpse of two royal Christmas trees in pictures earlier this month and His Majesty has also upheld a very special tree-based tradition.

This isn’t anything to do with his own festive décor and it’s a yuletide responsibility Prince William and Prince George will take on one day too. Anyone who’s watched BBC’s A Mary Berry Christmas might know what I’m talking about already, as Mary explained how His Majesty sends three trees to St Paul’s every year.

“Every Christmas, it’s the King’s tradition to give St Paul’s three trees big enough for the cathedral,” she said, before she and Zoe Ball picked one in Windsor Great Park for this year.

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This is the 91st year the monarch has donated trees to St Paul’s and the tradition goes back to 1934 when King George V (Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather) fitted three to enhance the festive feeling inside the cathedral. That’s not the only venue to get the royal treatment either.

The King also ensures that Christmas trees are sent to other locations, including Westminster Abbey, St Giles’ Cathedral in Scotland and various schools and churches near Sandringham House in Norfolk. Even undecorated, they’re impressive and the one Mary and Zoe picked out as part of the St Paul’s selection was around 20ft tall.

That’s a lot of leafy real estate to adorn with the best Christmas tree decorations and they make a real impact throughout the festive season. Given how long King Charles’s Christmas tree tradition has been going now, I’d expect this to be something Prince William continues with when he ascends to the throne.

It’s a lovely thing for the monarch to do and the Princess of Wales might well take on another royal Christmas tree custom when she’s Queen Consort. Queen Camilla invites children supported by Helen & Douglas and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity to decorate the tree and enjoy a tea party at Clarence House each December.

These charities are deeply personal to her and she’s Patron of both, though Catherine could perhaps wish to do something similar in the future, inviting those supported by several of her own Patronages. Alternatively, she could start her own original tree tradition just as she’s made her annual Together at Christmas carol service a key part of the festive season.

The trees that decorate Westminster Abbey for the concert are those donated by His Majesty and we’ve also been treated to a glimpse of Catherine decorating a tree in the past.

In 2023 she posted on Instagram to highlight that year’s service and the first picture was of her hanging decorations on a tree covered with warm-toned fairy-lights.

There were glittering gold baubles too and red and gold are classic colours for the royals’ trees. This is probably the closest we’ll come to seeing what the Prince and Princess of Wales’s decorating style is like, as their Christmas trees at home have always been kept private.

Since Forest Lodge is on the Windsor estate, though, I think it would make sense that it’s another one of King Charles’s Windsor Great Park trees - although probably not a 20ft one!