Queen victoria father family tree
In 1846, another Victorian Christmas novelty was invented, just after the Christmas card. By 1870, once halfpenny post had been introduced and many more people were able to read and write, the sending of Christmas cards became an established tradition even for those who were less well off. When postage costs were lowered in 1840, this also led to a new Christmas development which we now take for granted the Christmas card.
For middle-class families, this meant they could now purchase books and toys for their children for Christmas, whereas poorer children would get a small stocking containing an orange and nuts which was a great treat at the time. The industrialisation in the Victorian era is also to thank for the spread of Christmas ideas due to the increase of factory labour and the circulation of printed news, ideas could spread faster, and certain items became cheaper to make. The poor were even able to save throughout the year by putting pennies aside with a goose club or a turkey club, and those without an oven at home would use the services of a local baker. After being made popular by the royals and in fiction, however, by the end of the century, it was the turkey that sat on most Christmas tables. The foods enjoyed at Christmas changed as Victoria’s reign went on in the earlier years in the north, people often ate roast beef for Christmas, and in the south they enjoyed goose. The idea of Santa made Christmas more of a fun time to spend time with family, and for the first time, many people were even allowed two days off work to celebrate which meant there was more time for merriment and preparing delicious foods. It was in the middle of Victoria’s reign that American and European traditions combined to create the idea of the Father Christmas or Santa Claus we know now as a bringer of gifts to children, this added a sense of magic to the old Pagan and Christian traditions of the season. Even after this, he was known as a figure of merry-making and feasting but just for adults. It is not only the tradition of the Christmas tree that we have gained from the Victorian era, for example, Father Christmas before the Victorian era was part of English Folklore but had been much erased by the puritans in the 17th-century. Within a few years of this, the Christmas tree had become part of Christmas for many people, and as time went on, they were decorated with colourful barley sugar sweets, gingerbread and little ornaments as well as lit up by candles. In 1848, an image of the royals around their Christmas tree was published in The Illustrated London News.
Today we often think of Albert as being the one who made the Christmas tree popular in the United Kingdom as he filled Windsor palace with them and this soon spread throughout the land. Queen Victoria did not have many happy Christmas memories from her childhood, whereas Albert loved to celebrate Christmas and eventually Victoria found love for it too. Once Victoria had become Queen herself, her husband Prince Albert continued this tradition and imported yew and fir trees from his homeland which were brought inside and decorated. In those days a Christmas tree was decorated with nuts, fruits and maybe a few candles and toys. The Palace was filled with decorations such as Christmas trees this German tradition was first upheld in England by Victoria’s grandmother Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. It is therefore fitting, to round off our year of Queen Victoria by looking at where a few British Christmas traditions come from, as many stem from the Queen and Prince Albert’s love of Christmas and from the German customs of their families.Īs a child, a young Victoria spent her Christmases with her mother and close family, often at Kensington Palace.
World's first Christmas Card by Henry Cole (public domain)Īs we prepare to celebrate Christmas around the world in our own ways, here at History of Royal Women, we are also finishing up our Year of Queen Victoria which has been a fantastic series to write for all involved! During this series, we have shared a staggering 75 articles and over 70 journal entries and letters.Īt this time of year, we are used to seeing many festive items, singing particular songs and eating certain foods which all carry feelings of tradition and nostalgia.