Queen Victoria, Prince Albert & their Coburg relations

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

I am curious about how Queen Victoria and her family celebrated Christmas. I know that Prince Albert introduced the custom of a Christmas tree to England from Germany, but I have a few other questions:
Did QV's grandchildren ever spend Christmas with her? (in particular I am wondering about Alice's children,) This quote from a letter indicates that Princess Victoria did stay with her grandmamma for Christmas one year:

This is the passage in the Queen's letter, Feb. 7, 1881 that I was referring to: 
I am thinking now so much of seeing you again & hope dear Papa will allow you to come & go with us to Scotland again & stay on a little bit afterwards.   [Ref: "Advice to my Grand-daughter," p. 30] 
The invitation to visit the Queen would have fallen in the Autumn of 1881 and it appears that the Queen stayed in Scotland until mid Nov. when she returned to Windsor through the holiday season.  I, therefore, took Queen Victoria's invitation to mean that Princess Victoria and possibly the other children would stay with the Queen in Scotland and then "stay on a little bit" at Windsor Palace through Christmas 1881. 

Also, in what manner was the tree decorated? I have seen one drawing of her and Albert with the children sometime during the late 1840s or early 1850s, and it is very small so it is difficult to see the ornaments. Would there be a photograph of the tree from the 1870s & 80s?
here is an interesting link about Christmas in the royal family which does provide some information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/berkshire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9286000/9286971.stm
P.S. I searched to see if there was a thread about this in the Windsors section, and there is not, if the search engine is correct.

[Robert_Hall]

Queen Victoria was not a  Windsor. That name did not come into use until  WW! when George V invented it.

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

I know, but threads about her are in this section.

[Keith]

I couldn't find any mention of Christmas in Princess Marie Louise's memoirs. In Queen Marie's the only thing I found was her mentioning the Christmas tree in the library at Eastwell.

The Durbar Wing at Osborne decorated for Christmas 1900

[Keith]

From Princess Alice's book "For My Grandchildren" - She mentions that the Albany family went to Osborne more often at Christmas. "The large Indian Room had a row of Christmas trees, one for each of the family, and an enchanting one, which dated from the time of the Prince Consort, that played Christmas tunes as it rotated round and round. Besides presents galore, there were piles of delicious German Christmas cakes, and Mother had to be very strict to prevent us gorgin ourselves sick upon them."

Osborne Christmas 1897

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Wow, thank you! 
Princess Alice--which one? And the quote about the rotating Christmas trees makes me think they were not real? Or was it just that particular tree? Because it looks like there is a real tree in that picture, further down on the right side. I'm presuming that the tree on the left is the rotating one--it bears much resemblance to the one in the BBC article, perhaps it's the same tree? Now, forgive me, I should know, but I am at a loss as to who the "Albany family" is. Could someone enlighten me?

[Keith]

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone born Princess Alice of Albany. Her father was Queen Victoria's 4th son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany 1853-1884. At the time Princess Alice is talking about the family would have been her mother Princess Helen, Duchess of Albany and her brother Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany later Duke of Coburg.

This is just a guess, but I think the only tree that wasn't real was the rotating one. The one on the left does appear in both pictures, so I'm guessing that is the rotating one.

[Ian (UK)]

   From the Royal Collection



   This photograph is dated as 1896 so we now have 3 different dates for the same tree. The layout of presents is different too, indicating 3 separate years. In 1894 most of Osborne House had electricity so I think this is a prime candidate for our rotating christmas tree. Notice the large base, lots of room for an electric motor I suspect. The angel on top is a nice touch and very QV, I wonder if the tree survives?

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

That would be VERY interesting if it is still around today! 

[DssofBelem]

Just me or anyone else thinks deathbed photos disturbing? That one of Victoria Nemours was quite disturbing to me. Such a morbid habit, take deathbed photos.

Poor Victoria. Dying in childbirth, impoverished and exiled. "Coburg Curse" again!

[Grace]

This particular one is - it's absolutely awful - but the majority of them show the deceased person looking peaceful and would have given comfort to those left behind.  In some cases, they were probably the only photographic memory they had.

[RoyalWatcher]

The death photos I have seen of Victoria and Albert were quite tastefully done.

[Carolath Habsburg]

Mostly of PM images are tastefully done. There are just a few and ""rare" which are creepy as hell! xD