A Victorian Christmas With English Heritage – Queen Victoria and her Festive Traditions

The holiday season is rich with cherished traditions. We owe things like a decorated tree, big meal, and gifts to the Victorians. Specifically the namesake of the era, Queen Victoria.

In this second English Heritage lecture, we will learn how Victoria and Albert and their growing family celebrated Christmas at Windsor Castle and later at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. The lecture will discuss the royal family and the court who visited during the holidays, as well as placing these holiday celebrations in a contemporary global context.

This lecture is brought to you through the English Heritage & University of Oxford Alumni Society of Washington, DC partnership. Registrants for this event can watch the event live and at their leisure for up to two weeks afterward. The Zoom details will be sent to registrants separately closer to the event. 

Michael Hunter, English Heritage's Curator of Collections, Isle of Wight will take us back to the origins of these beloved traditions. Over twenty-four years, Michael has supervised the restoration and redisplay of most of the rooms used by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He has undertaken curatorial work at Castle Howard and Tredegar House in South Wales. Michael holds a degree in Fine Art from the University of Edinburgh and trained with the English National Opera as a theatre designer.

We can't wait to see you there!