London Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Oslo tree

Many people know that Norway presents the people of UK with a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year, but few are aware London isn’t the only British city that receives one. For decades, various Norwegian principalities have donated trees all over the UK, as symbols of the close and enduring relationship between Norway and Britain.

During the Second World War, King Haakon VII escaped to England as the Germans invaded Norway in 1940. The government headquarters was set up in London where the war news was broadcasted in Norwegian, along with messages and information that was vital to the resistance movement in Norway. The Norwegian Christmas trees are in many ways symbols of Norwegian gratitude towards the United Kingdom for preserving the country's liberty.