Osborne – the beloved Isle of Wight seaside home of Queen Victoria – is set to play host to a spectacular contemporary reimagining of the Christmas tree this year. From 1st December 2023 until 7th January 2024, visitors to the English Heritage property will be able to view ‘Freedom’ in the magnificent Durbar Room, the decoration of which was inspired by Victoria’s status as Empress of India. The ‘Freedom’ tree is made from a series of metal poles which suspend 200 ornately folded white paper origami birds, each engraved in silver with the initials ‘V&A’. The work, designed by Anna Hünnerkopf, was originally made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s birth. It is intended to encourage people to have a moment of peaceful reflection during the busy Christmas period. The tree is on loan to English Heritage from the City of Coburg, the birthplace of Prince Albert. Hünnerkopf originally designed the tree in 2019 as part of a competition between students at the University of Applied Sciences in Coburg to reimagine the Christmas tree for the modern age. It was installed in the V&A museum in 2019 but has not been displayed in the UK since. Coburg and the Isle of Wight also celebrated the 40th anniversary of their twinning earlier this year. The rest of Osborne will also be dusted with Christmas magic come December with decorations in the house. While Christmas trees had been introduced to the English court before his time, Prince Albert widely popularised our beloved tradition of decorating the Christmas tree in the Victorian period. The city of Coburg gifted a tree to Windsor Castle every year during Prince Albert’s lifetime, and recently reinstated the tradition a few years ago. 
Dr Christopher Warleigh-Lack, Curator of Collections & Interiors at English Heritage, commented:
“Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had a huge impact on how people celebrated Christmas, so it feels fitting that we’re able to mark this significance with a special Christmas tree, particularly given it comes from Prince Albert’s birthplace. We’re thrilled that the City of Coburg has allowed us to display ‘Freedom’ and look forward to welcoming visitors to Osborne soon.”
Michael Selzer, Head of Marketing for the City of Coburg, added:
“I’m delighted that, together with English Heritage, we have been able to bring the ‘Freedom’ tree back to the U.K. and hope it offers a chance to celebrate the special Anglo-German connection behind the history of Christmas trees. Thank you also to Anna Hünnerkopf for bringing to life this beautiful and inspiring artwork.”
Access to the inside of Osborne House, where visitors can view ‘Freedom’, will be through guided tours only this winter. Tours will run until 17th March 2024, except between Christmas and New Year, when the ground floor of the house is open as normal. New for 2023, these will be hosted by staff dressed as characters from Osborne’s past – including the housekeeper Mrs Smith and a footman named Thomas Newell, as listed in the 1861 census at Osborne. The tours will offer a unique glimpse into the stories behind this incredible English Heritage property with an emphasis on life as part of the Royal Household. The route will conclude in the Durbar Room to enable visitors to enjoy viewing ‘Freedom’. For further information and to book your visit to Osborne, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/osborne/.
