DECK THE HALLS

Royal residences as you've rarely seen them – dressed in all their festive finery

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While the Royal Family celebrate Christmas privately at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, their other residences embrace the season in spectacular style.

From November to January, Windsor Castle throws open its magnificent State Apartments and other public areas to visitors.

The showstopper is a 20-foot Nordmann fir, situated in St. George's Hall and crowned with a specially commissioned Garter Star – a fitting choice since the vaulted ceiling is emblazoned with shields from the Knights of the Garter.

Sourced from nearby Windsor Great Park, the evergreen is treated as a live specimen. "It's a living tree, so during its time here, it will be watered carefully and then, after Christmas, it will be replanted," Kathryn Jones, senior curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection Trust, told Hello! Six staff members spend two days decorating it, using a cherry picker to reach the top and place the star.