The world’s most famous Christmas Tree, located in the heart of Trafalgar Square, London, is shining bright with love, care, and gratitude, courtesy of the residents of Oslo, Norway. For more than 75 years, Norway has sent a tree to the United Kingdom to thank Britain for its support during the Second World War.
In 2022, the Wood Central Publisher visited the tree, which has a plaque reading, “The tree is given by the City of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the years 1940 – 1945; a tree has been given annually since 1947.”
Norway has a special bond with London dating back to April 1940 after the Nazi invasion and occupation forced the Norwegian king and government to form a government-in-exile in London. At the same time, the British military was instrumental in training and organising commandos to attack Nazi installations within Norway.
It spurred several Norwegian cities to donate “impressive spruce examples” to cities across the United Kingdom, including Newcastle upon Tyne. For 70 years, Newcastle upon Tyne has received a tree from the people of Bergen, which has come “to symbolise the deep and long-lasting friendship between Norway and the United Kingdom.”
This year’s London tree, which towers over Trafalgar Square and is PEFC-certified (of course), is a 60-year-old Norwegian spruce, dubbed the “queen of the forest” from the Forest of Grefsenkleiva. According to the BBC, it fell during a ceremony in November attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Robert Rigby, who on X described the tree as “majestic.”
Every year, the tree is brought to the United Kingdom by sea and then completes its journey by truck. A hydraulic crane and specialists are needed to erect and decorate the tree—it is then “dressed” in traditional “vertical” Norwegian lights, displayed from December 5 until just after New Year’s Day.
The tree was selected months before it fell, and PEFC—the world’s largest forest certification scheme—is proudly displayed on the plaque. The plaque confirms that the tree was “sustainably managed” in the 60 years before its felling.
Over 9 million hectares of Norway’s forests are certified by PEFC, making up almost 90% of the country’s forests – which means “practically all production forests are PEFC certified,” according to PEFC International.
Lord Mayor Rigby said the tree felling was “astonishing, spectacular and emotional. “It is stunning,” he said, distinct from some of the past trees that divided opinion online, with suggestions that they were “sparse” or “anaemic.”
To coincide with the tree-lighting ceremony, the Poetry Society has commissioned a poem as part of the annual tradition. The spruce will remain in Trafalgar Square until January 6, when it will be chipped and composted. Then, in August, planning for next year’s tree will begin.
