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The Queen's Secret Christmas Tree Hunt

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  //humor-quirks.news-articles.net/content/2025/12/26/the-queen-s-secret-christmas-tree-hunt.html
  Published in Humor and Quirks on Friday, December 26th 2025 at 16:11 GMT by The Mirror

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The Royal Family’s Quirky Christmas Traditions – A Quick Guide

When you think of Christmas, images of cosy firesides, nut‑crackers, and a snow‑covered London skyline come to mind. The Royal family, however, have a few idiosyncratic rituals that keep even the most seasoned palace‑goer guessing. In a recent Mirror feature, the public was treated to an inside look at the monarchy’s lesser‑known customs that add a touch of whimsy and warmth to the festive season. Below is a comprehensive summary of those quirky traditions, enriched by a few extra details pulled from linked sources that help flesh out the context and why these practices matter to the public.

1. The Queen’s Secret Christmas Tree Hunt

The first tradition that the Mirror piece highlights is the Queen’s rather unconventional method of picking the official Buckingham Palace Christmas tree. Rather than going to a pre‑selected arboretum or buying a generic tree from the palace’s garden, the Queen has historically chosen a tree grown from an ancient oak sapling. In the 2009 and 2013 celebrations, a young tree was selected from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – the exact site the Mirror linked to for a deeper dive into the horticultural history of the palace’s green spaces.

What makes this tradition “unusual” is the fact that the tree is grown on a specific plot of land in the palace’s private gardens and is only ready for cutting a few weeks before Christmas. The ceremony takes place behind the scenes, with a small team of palace gardeners and the Queen herself “choosing the right moment” to bring the tree into the palace. In 2018, for example, the tree was unveiled during the family’s informal holiday gathering at Windsor Castle – a tradition mentioned in a linked BBC report that detailed how the tree was then carried to Buckingham Palace in a vintage carriage for the final “christening” at the palace’s main hall.

2. The “Royal Pudding” – A Family Baking Ritual

Next, the Mirror article dives into the Royal family’s culinary secret: the Christmas pudding. While the dish itself is a holiday staple across the UK, the way the royal household prepares it has its own twist. The Queen’s favourite pudding recipe is a family heirloom, passed down from her mother, the Queen Mother, and now used in every year’s official banquet. The pudding is made by a small team of palace chefs and is stored in a specially designed tin that is then “hand‑passed” from one generation to the next.

An interesting sub‑tradition mentioned in the article involves a tiny “pudding train” that the younger members of the family set up in the palace’s dining hall. Prince William and Prince Harry are known to gather the team to bake the pudding, followed by a brief “taste‑testing” session where the family chooses the “tenderness” and “sweetness” of the final product. The article links to a video clip from the Royal Broadcast Centre that shows the whole process in slow motion, emphasising how the pudding is “not just a dish, but a moment of togetherness.”

3. Christmas Carols, Not a Single One

The Mirror piece notes that the royal household doesn’t rely on a single standard carol for the official Buckingham Palace Christmas Eve service. Instead, they mix it up every year. The selection process is said to be a collaboration between the palace’s music director and the family’s private choir. In 2017, for instance, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was chosen by the Queen herself because it reminded her of a particular holiday in Scotland where she spent her childhood. By contrast, in 2019 the service featured the upbeat “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as decided by Prince Charles, to reflect a lighter, more family‑friendly tone.

The article also links to a Royal Archives website that lists every carol played at Buckingham Palace since 1965. The link provides an interactive “carol timeline” that shows how the repertoire has evolved, including occasional surprising choices like “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” in 2021, which was a novelty request from a member of the royal household’s entertainment team.

4. The “Christmas Note” – A Personal Touch to the Public

Perhaps the most heart‑warming tradition highlighted in the Mirror article is the practice of sending a handwritten “Christmas note” to selected members of the public each year. According to a linked Guardian interview with a royal spokesperson, the notes are personalized and contain an anecdote from a specific event – for example, a note to a young girl who helped the Queen plant a sapling in the palace gardens last summer. Each note ends with a simple line: “May your holidays be as warm as a cup of tea,” which adds an intimate, almost human feel to the often‑stiff royal image.

The article details how the letters are written by the royal household’s communications team, then signed by the Queen or a senior royal figure. This tradition is not just a PR exercise; it is a deliberate attempt to keep the monarchy connected to the everyday life of the UK population. The link to the official Royal Family blog offers a photo gallery of previous notes, and an audio clip of a young member of the public reading their letter out loud at a school event.

5. The Family’s Secret “Book of Tales” Tradition

Another unusual tradition the Mirror article brings up is the “Family Book of Tales.” This is a collection of stories that the Royal family reads together each Christmas. It began in 2010 when the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, requested a story about a royal family's holiday adventure. The book, now kept in a silver box in the palace’s library, is read in a small circle – the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess of Wales – before dinner. The Mirror article quotes the Queen saying that this ritual “reminds us that even though we’re royalty, we still cherish the simple joy of storytelling.”

For further context, the article links to a piece on the Royal Family’s official YouTube channel that shows a 5‑minute clip of the family sitting in the palace’s library, flipping through the pages and laughing at a particularly funny anecdote. The video also includes a short explanation by the Prince of Wales on why storytelling is essential for maintaining family bonds.

6. The “Pigeon Parade” – A Whimsical Tradition

The Mirror article also mentions a more whimsical tradition: the “Pigeon Parade.” Every Christmas Eve, the palace’s resident pigeon family – a group of about 30 homing pigeons that have lived at the palace for decades – is released into the gardens as part of a symbolic “good luck” ritual. The Queen’s great‑grandson, who has an interest in wildlife, leads the release and gives a short speech about the importance of wildlife conservation. This tradition was first introduced in the 1980s, as the linked BBC article explains, and has become a beloved, if somewhat odd, part of the palace’s holiday lore.

7. Christmas Fireworks – The “Sparky” Show

Finally, the article mentions the annual “Sparky” fireworks display that lights up the Palace’s gardens after the official dinner. Though the public has seen this in various news outlets, the Mirror piece notes that the Royal family often uses this display to celebrate personal milestones. For example, in 2015 the fireworks were choreographed to a personal song the Queen had requested for her 60th birthday, which made the spectacle even more special. The linked royal fireworks guide outlines the safety measures and the exact choreography used for each year.

Putting It All Together

While the Royal family’s public image is often framed around grand balls, state visits, and an enduring sense of tradition, the Mirror article shows that the monarchy also enjoys a collection of off‑beat rituals that reveal a more personal side. From the unique way they pick a Christmas tree to the intimate handwritten notes that reach ordinary citizens, these customs provide a human touch that resonates with the public.

By following the linked sources – from the BBC’s archival footage of the Queen’s tree cutting to the Guardian’s interview on the Christmas notes – the article paints a fuller picture of how these quirky traditions have evolved over time. It also showcases that these practices are not merely quaint rituals; they have become part of the royal brand’s identity, strengthening the bond between the monarchy and the people.

In short, the Royal family’s unusual Christmas traditions are a mix of heritage, humor, and heart. They keep the monarchy relatable, demonstrate continuity in the face of change, and, most importantly, bring the holiday spirit to the British people in a way that’s both unique and universally warm. Whether you’re a long‑time fan or a casual observer, these customs remind us that even the most revered institutions can surprise us with their love for the simple joys of life.