© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025
This festive season, visitors are invited to experience Christmas at the official royal residences. From glittering decorations in the State Apartments to exclusive guided tours and the launch of a brand-new Christmas shop, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
At Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, visitors will see the historic rooms adorned with shimmering trees, foliage and garlands. For the first time, the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace will host a pop-up Christmas shop, offering a curated selection of gifts, food and festive treats. In London, Windsor and Edinburgh, exclusive winter tours will provide special access when the residences are normally closed to visitors, making this a Christmas to remember.
Windsor Castle – 27 November 2025 to 5 January 2026
Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, will offer a festive experience steeped in royal history. In St George’s Hall, the largest room in the Castle, a towering, 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree grown in Windsor Great Park will be decked with thousands of sparkling lights and shimmering green and gold ornaments, while dramatic garlands will adorn the room’s balconies beneath the famous vaulted ceiling.
In the Crimson Drawing Room, one of the ornate Semi-State Rooms only open during the winter months, the rich red silk walls and gilded details will provide a sumptuous backdrop for another dazzling, 16-foot-high Christmas tree. Inside the miniature world of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, visitors will discover a tiny Christmas tree and festive garlands, complete with ornaments made from glass beads repurposed from vintage necklaces, and tiny candles made with real candle wax.
St George’s Chapel will be open to visitors to the Castle on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and daily services are open to all, seven days a week. Advent, the period leading up to Christmas, begins on Sunday, 1 December.
The Undercroft Café, located in the oldest part of the Castle, will serve a special seasonal menu, perfect for warming up after a stroll around the Castle precincts and there is Festive Family Fun activities during the Christmas holidays which will include arts and crafts activities where children can create a Christmas memento to take home.
Palace of Holyroodhouse – 20 November 2025 to 5 January 2026
At the foot of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse’s atmospheric rooms will be dressed with festive decorations in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the rooms first opening to the public. The wood-panelled Throne Room will be the setting for two majestic 12-foot-high Christmas trees, their branches adorned with sparkling ornaments and twinkling lights, alongside dramatic mantle garlands.
In the Great Gallery, the longest room in the Palace where grand balls were once held, a 15-foot-high Nordmann fir tree will take centre stage, its glass and mirrored ornaments echoing the room’s glittering chandeliers.
Two evenings of Christmas carol performances will take place at the Palace on 9 and 10 December. Guests can enjoy the beautifully decorated State Apartments before a concert of Christmas music in the Great Gallery. Each evening will conclude with a glass of wine and mince pies.
On 13 December, the Palace will host a Christmas activity day with arts and crafts activities and festive music performances for all the family to enjoy.
The Royal Mews Christmas Shop – 14 November to 5 January
For the first time, the shop at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace will be transformed into a cosy pop-up Christmas shop, bringing together the best of Royal Collection Trust’s seasonal products. Visitors can browse official royal gifts and decorations while stocking up on Christmas treats.
Across the royal residences and online, the Royal Collection Trust Shops are brimming with inspiration for Christmas gifting. New this year are mini 20cl bottles of gin, infused with botanicals hand-picked from the gardens of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the Property of the Royal Kitchen range of kitchen accessories, inspired by the Great Kitchen at Windsor Castle – the oldest working kitchen in the country.
Tickets and visitor information can be found at www.rct.uk.
