The Heartbreaking Reason Queen Elizabeth Kept Her Christmas Tree Up Until February

The Queen liked to spend Christmas and the New Year holiday with her family at Sandringham in the east of England. In fact, she stayed there until February, only then going back to Buckingham Palace. This was her tradition for many years — going back to the 1980s — and the Queen, as you might expect, loved tradition.

Elizabeth wasn’t one to shy away from hanging up decorations or putting up a grand tree to celebrate the season. Tradition dictates that it’s bad luck to keep decorations up past Twelfth Night, though — that being the date on which the three wise men visited Jesus in the story. Christmas Day marks the first day of Christmas, so most people would take their decorations down on January 6. Royal tradition meant that no such thing happened at Sandringham, however.

The royal family had plenty of other traditions on Christmas Day, though. Not least of these was the family visit to St. Mary Magdalene church, which lies near the royal estate. Now, this visit was customary for royals — and even Queen Victoria enjoyed her Christmas service there all the way back in the 19th century.

Back in 2019, the family had some new additions to the Sandringham protocol. Prince George and Princess Charlotte — Prince William’s children — enjoyed a Christmas walk with the family. But Prince Louis didn’t join them in church. Perhaps it was considered too much for an infant who was then barely a year old. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan chose to stay in Canada that year, not long before announcing that they would be stepping away from their positions as working royals.

Back at Sandringham, the Queen’s Christmas tree carried on a tradition that began in the 18th century with her forebear Queen Charlotte, George III’s consort. In fact, trees weren’t a thing for the Brits at Christmas time before Charlotte introduced one to her kids. Her grandchild Queen Victoria loved her Christmas tree, which went up in her room every year when she was a child.

Although new to the United Kingdom at the time, Christmas trees were common across northern Europe. Once Queen Victoria had married Prince Albert, a German noble, Christmas trees became ever more popular. For instance, an 1842 newspaper advert talked about how smart they were and of their origins in Germany. From there, they became features of books and newspapers.

Christmas is, of course, a time for giving gifts, and the royals are no exception. They set out their gifts on tables the day before Christmas and then exchange them accompanied by tea. We’ve heard tales of some noted joke gifts, though. The Queen, for example, was once gifted a shower cap that read “ain’t life a [drag]” one year, while a then-young and single Prince Harry made off with a “grow your own girlfriend” kit.

The Queen also liked to send out Christmas cards. The cards, which were adorned with a photo of the royal family, were sent to some 750 people. Each was signed by the Queen, and just in case there was any doubt about who sent them, they were stamped with her ciphers. The lucky people who received a card from the monarch ranged from family and friends in the Royal Household to prime ministers across the Commonwealth.

But it didn’t end at cards and family gifts. The Queen also gave something to her entire staff in the Royal Household. Some of them even got gifts personally from Her Majesty. And that’s not all. Her grandfather, King George V, started a practice of handing out Christmas puddings to his staff, and his son King George VI and granddaughter, Elizabeth, continued it. Tradition, after all, was everything.

Approximately 1,500 puddings were given out to staff at the Queen’s palaces and the post office attached to her court — and even to the police officers who guarded her. And the puddings, which the Queen paid for herself, came with a card from the monarch and her partner Prince Philip, before his sad passing in 2021.

The Queen’s notable generosity extended to charities, as well. She gave cash to several organizations in Windsor, for example — with Windsor Castle sitting in the heart of the town. She also donated trees to various churches with a royal connection, including Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and to a number of schools and churches near Sandringham.

And it was at Sandringham that the Queen would spend the Christmas holidays through to February 6 — strangely surrounded for the entire period by Christmas decorations. So why was the Queen untroubled by the notion that this might equate to bad luck? In fact, the Queen had been struck by misfortune already, all the way back when she was just 25 years old, and at the very moment that she became the sovereign.

Well, it turns out that February 6 was a special day — and a sad day — for the Queen. On that day in 1952 the Queen’s beloved father King George VI passed away at Sandringham. And to mark his passing and to celebrate his life, the Queen would stay at her Norfolk estate with decorations up until that date.

The Queen was very close to her dad. After his passing in 1952, she wrote to her secretary. According to The Independent, she said, “It all seems so unbelievable still that my father is no longer here and it is only after some time has passed one begins to realize how much he is missed.” They’re words that seem all the more poignant today.

Indeed, the Queen had a close bond with George VI. He was famously devoted to Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret when they were little. At the time Margaret was apparently somewhat more lively than the quiet, reserved Elizabeth — known to her family as “Lilibet.” Many years later, Prince Harry would give the name to his second child, of course. The King — in those days just Duke Albert of York — called Elizabeth his “pride” and her sister his “joy.”

It was only when Albert’s brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne that he became George VI. Of course, that now meant that his eldest daughter would herself be crowned one day — something she might never have previously expected to happen. To help her prepare, the King directed Elizabeth to pen a description of his own coronation as she watched on. And what she wrote revealed the regard that she held him in.

Indeed, Elizabeth described her father’s entrance to Westminster Abbey in a tone of awe. She wrote, “Then came Papa looking very beautiful in a crimson robe and the Cap of State. I thought it all very, very wonderful and I expect the Abbey did, too.” She said that her dad was crowned in nothing less than a “haze of wonder.”

As George’s reign progressed, he handed over some of his royal duties to his heir. And in fact, Elizabeth gave a radio broadcast in her teens to help comfort child war evacuees. What’s more, she joined the war effort herself as a mechanic, working behind the scenes as soon as she was able to. Once she reached adulthood, Elizabeth was entrusted with being her father’s stand-in when he couldn’t represent the United Kingdom.

Eventually, when George passed, the new queen took on her responsibilities stoically. But you could still hear the pain in her voice during her announcement when she proclaimed herself queen. She said, “My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than I shall always work, as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples.” One can only imagine that Charles feels similarly, following the passing of his mother.

In another Christmas tradition, the Queen’s Speech — an annual televised address to Britain and the world — the sovereign movingly referred to her father in 2019. “This year we marked another important anniversary: D-Day,” she said, looking back to World War II. “On June 6, 1944, some 156,000 British, Canadian, and American forces landed in northern France.”

“It was the largest ever seaborne invasion and was delayed due to bad weather,” Her Majesty continued. And then she revealed a personal side to the story of that day, saying, “I well remember the look of concern on my father’s face. He knew the secret D-Day plans but could of course share that burden with no one.” Elizabeth no doubt carried a similar burden — quietly remembering and commemorating her father each and every holiday season. The young Elizabeth had some extraordinary wartime experiences of her own, though...

As you would expect of someone in her position, the Queen very rarely mingled spontaneously with the everyday public. But there was one occasion when the young Elizabeth snuck out onto the streets of London. She would enjoy a brief, secret adventure as a regular person in the capital of her kingdom. And it’s quite the story.

On this little-known occasion, the young Princess Elizabeth snuck out of the palace with her sister Princess Margaret in tow. And it was then that she cavorted, unplanned, with regular members of the public – for a brief time acting as any care-free teenager would. It may be hard to believe, but there was a momentous event that inspired such behavior from a future monarch.

How things have changed! Mind you, it would be unfair to say that the Queen never fraternized with the general public later in her life. During her reign, she made a concerted effort to connect with people in Britain and overseas since her coronation all those decades ago. But as you would expect, her social endeavors were heavily regulated.

Unsurprisingly for a woman in her 90s, the Queen didn't get out and about during her later years like she once did. Many of her appearances towards the end of her life were on screen. For instance, in 2020 she addressed the public to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. She would also make a TV address every Christmas Day.

Then there were a handful of events throughout any normal year that you could expect to see the Queen in attendance. As a famous horse lover and owner, Elizabeth was usually spotted at Royal Ascot and occasionally other prestigious equine-related events. The Royal Windsor Horse Show was another of the Queen’s favorites. In fact, she is said to have attended every edition of the annual event since 1943!

As you might imagine, the Queen would carry out all manner of public engagements over the course of a year. She would meet with politicians, scientists, teachers, pupils, workers, heads of state, and all manner of other people in between. It was a pretty busy gig – especially for someone who was on the throne for 70 years!

And then there were the Queen’s so-called Garden Parties. More than 30,000 guests were invited to enjoy tea and sandwiches in the grounds of Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland, according to the royal family’s official website. And it became a way for Her Majesty to recognize all manner of public servants.

There were some humorous interactions between the Queen and ordinary members of the public through the years. In fact, one of her former protection officers, Richard Griffin, recounted a particularly hilarious story. According to him, the Queen was approached by a gaggle of American tourists near her Balmoral residency in Scotland. With Elizabeth dressed in a plain headscarf, the group was apparently totally unaware of who she was!

Richard recounted the alleged hilarious encounter during a talk in 2016. According to The Times newspaper, Elizabeth was asked, “Have you ever met the Queen?” She apparently responded, “No,” and the monarch then pointed at Richard and quipped, “But he has.”

And then there was the infamous time a man broke into the Queen’s bedchamber at Buckingham Palace. Michael Fagan reportedly spent ten minutes chatting with Elizabeth after waking her up. Repeated attempts to buzz security ended in failure, but a royal staffer finally came to her rescue. Of course, fans of The Crown will know that this bizarre event is recreated in the show’s fourth season.

But there was a time when the Queen’s interactions with the public were a little less guarded. In fact, there was one remarkable evening when Elizabeth – then just a mere princess – fraternized with military personnel and civilians celebrating on the crowded streets of London, England. It sounds unlikely, right? But it actually happened – albeit many moons ago.

World War II formally ended in Europe in May 1945. It was a historical moment of almost unparalleled magnitude – six years of terrible war finally brought to a close. Relieved British men and women took to the streets to celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany and its Axis allies. The celebrations saw service personal intermingle with regular civilians as emotions overflowed.

Elizabeth had herself been involved in the war effort – serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) as a second subaltern. In fact, she later rose to the rank of junior commander. And her attitude was indicative of the family as a whole. At the outbreak of war in 1939, Elizabeth’s mother – the Queen consort – reportedly refused to be evacuated. According to Insider, she said, “The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.”

Elizabeth and her younger sister apparently spent most of the war at Windsor Castle. But their mother and father were often in residence at Buckingham Palace in central London, too. And that latter home was bombed no fewer than nine times throughout the war, according to the Royal Collection Trust. The Evening Standard reports that the Queen Mother said at the time, “I’m glad we’ve been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the east end in the face.” This a reference to the ferocious German attacks on the eastern section of London which took place during the Blitz.

The royal family won praise from the public for their acts of solidarity. And in a further indication of support, then-18-year-old Princess Elizabeth volunteered to join the ATS, which was a sub-division of the British Army. Incredibly, she remains to this day the only female royal to have served.

During the war years, Elizabeth became a truck driver and also trained to be a mechanic. She never saw active combat, but the role was not without its risks. According to the BBC, 210,308 women were involved with the ATS at its peak, and 335 of them lost their lives. Mary Churchill – the youngest daughter of wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill – also served.

Nazi Germany officially surrendered in May 1945, and a wave of euphoria soon spread across Europe. In Britain, crowds began gathering outside Buckingham Palace. More than 100,000 people were estimated to have congregated to see the King and his family, according to AP.

The crowd’s patience was rewarded as King George VI finally made an appearance alongside his wife and two daughters. The Queen recalled to BBC war correspondent Godfrey Talbot 40 years later, “My parents went out on the balcony in response to the huge crowds outside. I think we went on the balcony every hour – six times.”

“I remember the thrill and relief,” the Queen went on. But the exhilaration continued to grow for the teenage princesses. Elizabeth added, “And then, when the excitement of the floodlights being switched on got through to us, my sister and I realized we couldn’t see what the crowds were enjoying... so we asked my parents if we could go out and see for ourselves.”

Perhaps even more surprising than the request of the two young princesses to venture out was the response of their parents. The answer was apparently yes. Or a little more precisely, “Let the darlings have some fun.” That’s according to Kate Williams, a historian who was quoted in a Channel 4 documentary called The Queen’s Big Night Out.

Elizabeth and Margaret were only 19 and 14 respectively at that time. But in the group of 16 people were also friends, servants, and guards. It was a night that none of them were ever to forget. The princesses’ cousin Margaret Rhodes was one of that party. She later recalled events in the same Channel 4 documentary – as did royal aide Jean Woodroffe. And the pair have quite some stories to tell.

How did the party actually get out, first of all? Well, Margaret recalled, “We crossed the forecourt at Buckingham Palace and got to the railings and there were these masses and masses of people. There was a general thing of, ‘We want the King and Queen!’ which we all frantically joined in with and were amazed when, five or ten minutes later, the windows opened and they came out on to the balcony.”

And it seems that the scenes on the street had to be seen to be believed. Jean Woodroffe explained, “People were kissing and even making love. I was shocked by it. I hadn’t experienced that sort of thing before.” Who knows what a pair of sheltered teenage princesses must have thought?

Elizabeth, for her part, was apparently scared that her identity would be revealed amid the celebrations. In her 1985 BBC interview the monarch remembered how she tried to remain anonymous that evening. The Queen recalled, “We were terrified of being recognized, so I pulled my uniform cap well down over my eyes.”

But Elizabeth’s actions were met with short shrift. She added, “A Grenadier officer among our party of about 16 people said he refused to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed, so I had to put my cap on normally.” It’s funny to imagine the future monarch being admonished in this way, isn’t it?

So, what else does the Queen remember? She added, “We cheered the King and Queen on the balcony, then walked miles through the streets. I remember miles of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall – all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.”

There was also allegedly an incident which involved the royal entourage stealing a Dutch sailor’s hat! Margaret Rhodes explained on the The Queen’s Big Night Out, “My abiding memory is of this poor man following us trying to get his hat back.”

But did the individual realize that he was chasing the future queen? Margaret responded, “Probably not. You have to remember that 75 per cent of the people on the streets would have been in uniform, so [Elizabeth] wouldn’t have stood out. She was invisible.”

What came next for the royal party, then? Well, they reportedly headed up to the other end of The Mall from Buckingham Palace at around 10:30 p.m. Margaret recalled, “Trafalgar Square was jammed. It was a scene of joyful whoopee – full of people kissing policemen and other people. It was complete mayhem but rather nice mayhem.” Indeed, it must have been quite the sight!

From there, the future monarch and her entourage of revellers paid a visit to the Ritz Hotel. But the diners were to get a shock that night. Margaret remembered, “For some reason, we decided to go in the front door of the Ritz and do the conga. The Ritz was so stuffy and formal – we rather electrified the stuffy individuals inside.”

Margaret further recalled events which cannot help but raise a smile. She went on, “There were old ladies looking faintly shocked as one conga-ed through. Eyebrows were raised, but we carried on in our very loud way.”

Margaret continued, “It was great fun. I don’t think anyone realized who we were. To them it was just a group of rather drunk young mad people.” And there were certainly plenty of such folk out on this particularly memorable night.

Yet there was time for one last little adventure as the party made their way back towards Buckingham Palace. The folk gathered outside were still chanting to see the King, and the monarch duly obliged. But this time – unknown to almost everyone congregated – there had been a little tip-off.

The King made his way onto the palace balcony with Elizabeth and Margaret among the joyous crowd. But it wasn’t a coincidence, as the monarch later admitted in that 1985 BBC interview. The Queen said, “We... cheated slightly because we had sent a message into the house to say we were waiting outside.”

The party then slipped back into the palace as quietly as they had initially left. And those are the events of Elizabeth’s big night out among regular folk. In an interview with the Daily Mail Weekend magazine, another person in attendance on the streets of London that night put the evening in context for a modern audience.

Baroness Trumpington – who served in the British government under Margaret Thatcher – was simply Jean Campbell-Harris back then. Like the Queen, she too was in the thick of the action on VE Day. The late politician explained in 2015, “Me and my five pals went to London on the train. Peace was declared not long after we arrived.”

London, for the first time in six years, had apparently come alive. Baroness Trumpington went on, “It had been very dim during the blackout – with only searchlights in the sky and very tiny traffic lights – and suddenly there was this sudden blaze of light. It was so exciting! Everything had been so dim, dim, dim. And now it was splurge, splurge, splurge!”

And Baroness Trumpington saw Elizabeth among the melee. She told the Daily Mail Weekend magazine, “I had a friend who was a bodyguard of the Queen, so I noticed her and Princess Margaret as they walked the streets. But they were people like anyone else – we didn’t take any notice of them.” How often can such words be spoken of the British monarch?

Looking back, Margaret Rhodes said that it was a wonderful decision by the King and Queen consort to let their daughters loose for the evening. She explained on the Channel 4 documentary, “It was really rather clever of the King and Queen – and enormous credit to them for letting the girls go out on the wild. It would have been tragic if they hadn’t been given the chance to join in with the people and have that blast of freedom. And it was such a wonderful night. I still remember it all these years on.”

“It was a wonderful escape for the girls,” Margaret recalled. “I don’t think they’d ever been out and walked with a million other people. It was a great freedom – the freedom to be an ordinary person for the first time.” And as for the Queen herself? Well, she told the BBC, “I think it was one of the most memorable nights of my life.” It would have been for anyone – let alone a young future monarch.