Parliamentary Christmas Tree lights up for festive season
26 November 2018
Every year a Christmas tree from Kielder Forest in Northumberland is transported to the UK Parliament so it can stand in New Palace Yard next to the Elizabeth Tower.
Provided by the Forestry Commission and assured as homegrown and sustainable by Grown in Britain, this is the seventeenth year the tree has been specially selected and transported to Westminster.
The Sitka Spruce tree reaches almost 15 meters in height, with a smaller tree from the same forest taking pride of place in Westminster Hall.
Staff from the UK Parliament carefully unloaded and decorated the huge tree with the help of a crane. It will be seen and photographed by parliamentarians and thousands of members of the public and tourists as we head towards Christmas.
Ian Green, Kielder West Beat Forester, said:
“It is a privilege to be supplying one of the most photographed Christmas trees in the country this year. We take great care to make sure that we pick the perfect tree to stand outside the Palace of Westminster for Christmas, and this year is no exception. This Christmas, year we have chosen a Sitka Spruce, a tree type known for its classic shape, and we look forward to seeing it decorated in Parliament after it makes its long journey down from our forest.”
In January next year the tree will be recycled and sent to be chipped and used for composting.