My Christmas tree is always a mish-mash of ornaments. I know that a nicely coordinated tree is visually pleasing, but I like to think of a Christmas tree as my own historical record. You can see the macaroni Christmas tree ornament from when I was 5, and the Hermione Granger ornament I received when I was 11. You can see many of my hobbies and passions evidenced in ornaments. And what kind of historian would I be if there wasn’t at least a few historic ornaments on the tree? My young Queen Victoria ornament is the perfect example!
The Historic Royal Palaces shops always have the most wonderful ornaments, of different monarchs, royals, courtiers, writers, and more. The only downfall is that they are on the pricier side, with a standard ornament (aka bauble in the UK) starting at £10.99. I knew that I wanted to get one on my trip though. Ironically enough, I bought this in Bath, at the Fashion Museum. After watching three seasons of Victoria on PBS, this spoke to me!
Although the Victoria of popular memory is a grumpy, dowdy, old woman shrouded in black, she was young once. And this beautiful ornament is the perfect nod to her young and vibrant life! It is an incredibly well-made ornament, complete with brooch, necklace, and tiara details. I’m a big fan of soft ornaments, because they tend to be more durable and lasting. Which I suppose means that this historian will have a queen hanging on her tree for decades to come!
And if you are looking for more Queen Victoria, feel free to check out my post on her gorgeous tiaras at Kensington Palace! My book guide also has some excellent suggestions if you want to do some background reading…
Have you seen a Queen Victoria ornament on a tree before?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’
