No one does the holiday season quite like the royals. Windsor Castle, one of the oldest and largest inhabited castles in the world, is famous for its breathtaking Christmas decor, which only seems to get more dazzling each year. The castle just opened its annual display to visitors again last Thursday, offering seasonal decorations throughout the State Apartments and public rooms of the historic residence.
The centerpiece is a 20-foot Nordmann fir tree, traditionally sourced from the grounds of Windsor Great Park, installed in St. George’s Hall, the largest space in the castle. Staff decorated the tree with more than three thousand lights and green and gold ornaments. Garlands line the balconies below the vaulted ceiling, creating one of the castle’s signature holiday sights.
Royal Collection Trust staff decorate the Christmas tree in St. George’s Hall.
The Crimson Drawing Room, used only during the winter months, now holds another 16-foot tree set against deep red silk walls and gilded trim. The room is part of the Semi-State Rooms suite, which opens to the public for a limited period each year.
Visitors will also see a 16-foot-high Nordmann fir Christmas tree in the Crimson Drawing Room.
Even Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House—which indeed is the world’s largest doll house, but still a doll house—also gets the holiday treatment. The miniature home completed in 1924 includes a 45-centimeter tree and garlands made with beads sourced from vintage necklaces. The tiny candles in the display are crafted with real wax.
The specially-made holiday decorations were made at a 1:12 scale.
Aside from taking in the visual splendors, Windsor Castle will also offer a number of other holiday programming options and treats. Families can take part in workshops inspired by Victorian holiday traditions, and children will be able to create small keepsakes. Local school and community choirs will also perform carols under the tree in St. George’s Hall.
The Semi-State Rooms are used for official entertaining by the royals and are open to the public in the winter months.
Guests can warm up in the Undercroft Café, located in the oldest section of the castle, where a seasonal menu is available through the holidays. Tours of the Great Kitchen, considered the oldest working kitchen in Great Britain, will also be available on select dates as an add-on to standard admission.
Revenue from admissions and on-site purchases supports the Royal Collection Trust’s work maintaining the collection and making it available to the public.
Festive garlands adorn the Grand Staircase.
All Christmas displays are included in standard admission to the Castle. Advanced reservations for tickets are always recommended for Windsor Castle given its popularity among tourists worldwide, but even more so during the holiday season.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at .
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