The Queen and the First Christmas Tree: Queen Charlotte's Gift to England

By: Nancy Churnin

Pictures by: Luisa Uribe

When Princess Charlotte left her home in Germany to marry King George III of England, she brought her family's favorite Christmas tradition with her - decorating a yew bough with flowers and ribbons. Years later, after Charlotte became a queen devoted to charity and bettering the lives of families, she planned a Christmas Day celebration for more than one hundred children, rich and poor. But She needed more than a yew branch to make the day special. She needed a tree, decked with candles and paper baskets of treats. Though such a thing had never been seen before in England, Charlotte and her descendants would make the Christmas tree a cherished part of the holiday season.