The Christmas decorations at the royal palaces are steeped in history and sentiment, but there's also a few new additions and some very special gifts waiting to be opened

Monarchs first began celebrating Christmas at Windsor Castle in the 12th century , and the grand tree unveiling is always one of the highlights of the royal year. “The state apartments at Windsor were designed as magnificent backdrops for ceremony and entertaining,” says Kathyrn Jones, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts at Royal Collection Trust. “Many of the spaces have high ceilings and plenty of gilding, which act as perfect frames for the Christmas trees.”

In lofty St George’s Hall, a towering Nordmann fir tree is traditionally brought in from Windsor Great Park , with another on display in the Crimson Drawing

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