Celebrate a traditional Christmas at Highclere Castle

Do you think this is our tallest tree? I think it's one of the tallest because I think that wonderful glorious deep red ribbon on the top, the bow, has gone as high as I've ever seen it actually. Amazing. I was up some very tall ladders. I know you're wearing orange but the colour's actually red this year, red and gold, which is I think really traditional and we wanted to go back to Victorian reassuring. I guess we've interpreted it with bows and gold and Little Father Christmases. What do you think? In my grandfather's time when the tree was not quite as tall as elaborate, deep deep red and some gold were very much sort of most years the theme of the tree so we're quite traditional here now. We are very traditional. I think it rather helps in a bit of a wibbly-wobbly world just to go back to what Christmas was in Victorian times and the times of Charles Dickens. The spruce tree with this deep dark green contrasting against a wonderful Father Christmas, the gold of the model instrument, the deep reds everywhere and the sparkle, the lights. I can't tell you how many lights we push into this tree. It took hours just to get the lights in funnily enough. I think there's three sets and we could have even used another set but never mind I still think it looks pretty wonderful. It is absolutely terrific and it's a glory. In the Soaring Saloon you need the idea of height and light together and of course there's the Charles Barry's idea of the light coming down from above and then onto the tree like there's something really special about it. Well I have to say this castle eats baubles. Right let's go look at the library. It's been a bit different in that. I think this tree gets bigger every year. That's lovely isn't it? Do you think these are calling birds? What is a calling bird? I don't really know. Well I think I think it's a bird with a beautiful song. It is fun isn't it? And the tree around the corner has got some little books on it but I do think these birds are really pretty, absolutely charming. They're charming but then again the colour is such a great contrast to the to the sort of wonders of the books and the knowledge on the walls behind. I think Sally's really clever and that on this table is one of the biggest Christmas decorations, floral arrangements I've ever seen. But how in tune it is with with with all the idea of the deep the deep red of the curtains, the carpet, the colours in the First Earl's fantastic coat above the fireplace. Everything chimes. And we've even got a few angels. I do think we need some angels keeping us safe. Lovely aren't they? Keeping us safe as they watch by night. Exactly. I hope they do as well. It's spectacular, absolutely wonderful. I think our guests are going to really enjoy it. Now the morning room, no the music room rather, is a bit of fun. I don't know if you've seen it or noticed what's happening. I've been actually mostly in the in the morning room and the smoking room this morning so this is a this is new to me in here so this is this is fun. Of course this gets this great sudden light this time of day. And Sally thought she'd have some fun with leopards and dogs. Very Viking and very high clear. So I hope Karina and Tor like this as well. Well I know Karina well. I don't know whether this is Freddie or Charlie but they're very fine and they've even got red and green. And actually you've even got some sort of some bright white and silver in here. So that again chimes with the real contrast of this beautiful Italian needlework on the wall. Well it just needs to lift it a little bit because otherwise the red and the gold can sink into the walls which is quite tricky. And I think we've probably got most of the Chinese dogs that can possibly be found. They've all got their own little red neckties. And I love the green stocking matching camouflage with this with the spruce here. And have you seen all the little bones for the dogs? The doggies are probably very happy with everything they've got here. Sally always has a bit of fun in here. It's where Christmas isn't too serious. How many different types of our doggie friends are there on this tree? A fair number. Probably some of them looking for food. This is again a spectacular floral display but leavened with the white which was a really clever idea. This is pretty. Look at this. Frosted roses. The frosted roses on this tree in our wonderful drawing room with a beautiful turquoise wall behind. You probably want to eat the frosted roses if they're some kind of a special ice cream. Oh yummy. Some version of strawberry and rose ice cream. This is a really yummy tree and it is spectacular. It's always around your tummy but anyway I think it's absolutely lovely. And also each room here is a little bit different so it's not everything the same and I think this is a lovely contrast with the paler prettier green against the green silk wallpaper and the roses are are completely stunning. My great-grandmother Almena, she'd have loved all this in here. I think she'd have loved this mantel shelf too. It is simply wonderful. And then again we've got a few, I don't know if they're gold or they're silver deer so I suppose harking back to the Victorian themes again. They feature actually as a glorious animal in many of the of the decorations and they do look fantastic. Well and there's some reeds as well which I suppose I associate with Victorian times and their reverence for the past and the medieval past and Charles Dickens' books looked both backwards and forwards. They were brilliant his books, honestly. The fourth hour was definitely in awe. We've got some lovely copies of Charles Dickens and in some ways the nature of this particular room is looking back and outwards, isn't it? Pretty. Now the smoking room. Look at this. Look at this. I think this is really special this year. Of course these colours are a bit of a contrast to what we've been seeing before. A bit less of just the deep red and gold and a bit more of the of the white creams and silvers in here. Again contrasting with this fantastic terracotta wall cover. I know. And the amazing paintings of the great masters and I think that our Christmas decorations sort of light up the glory of the great masters. They do but look so this is a obviously a pheasant tree on a little fake one We've got Jan Weynicks with his paradise animals and we got a homage to that with the beautiful pheasants and the coloured things on this. Really clever. There's a lot of decoration in here. My goodness. It's amazing how Sally gets all the things to chime together with the different sub themes in different rooms. Very clever really. Absolutely lovely. This is everything here is I suppose was thought up by Sally and I in January two years beforehand. Partly prepared in the January of the year before Christmas and then it takes us 10 days to install which is all team High Clear led by Sally as the great chief elf. Christmas elf. Wonderful Christmas elf. And here we went to a silvery world picking up all the themes in this room itself. Now this is what I was talking with Kate earlier. I mean these colours in this wonderful morning room of the Countesses they just bring everything alive. I mean look look at those shades of blue under that great portrait of you and then you know the cream and things in great-grandmother grandmother's paintings. Really special. Now I know you might recognize it but the theme here my darling is Mrs. Beeton and it's tiny Tim and a Christmas Carol. It's a little bit of what you might think of in Victorian times and food. I grew up with jellies. I only wish I had more jelly today. I love jelly and cream and of course that wonderful tree in the corner which is full of mini jellies takes me right back to the time of my grandfather used to sort out Christmas. So this clearly is your room. So on the tree we have got turkeys, Christmas pudding and your jelly. Yes well I mean the nursery teas. All the Christmas teas I used to come up with my grandfather they would be definitely turkey and Christmas pudding and Christmas pudding with the shilling piece in it you have to find. Wonderful homemade brandy butter by Ivy the cook and of course when I was small there was definitely lots of jellies and things and I do miss them. Well I will make you some jellies because I also like jellies. And those deep red in this wonderful arrangement here. Beneath the sort of the same colours in the Van Dyck portrait of King Charles. Well perhaps he was thinking of Sally's decoration to come when he painted it. This one we have our frosted friend with antlers here. And little toy soldiers it's very cute. And the bay comes back again which we use actually for our medieval Christmas. And of course Margaret is holding a wrap of dark red which chimes in with these fantastic leaves. Very poetic. So more Christmas trees and this is all very delicately balanced because we can't use gaffer tape or anything like that. So it is all completely dry whatever you may think. Well I really hope that people will be wowed when they come round this Christmas. I think they should. It's just a fantastic array of Christmas colour, sparkle, design and full marks to Sally the Chief Christmas Elf and her team. And look there's the little cups. Right let me come and let's go and have a look at the staircase because that's also rather wonderful. We can walk down the stairs like Hugh Bonneville and Lady Mary. Isn't it funny how this staircase has become so beloved by so many people. Well it does allow you to make a rather grand entry into a special room doesn't it? A special area. Yes I think we'll have to come down another time dressed to the nines for Christmas. In terms of facts and figures I think Sally creates two and a half kilometres of Christmas garland. They not merely go along the two staircases in the castle but also around the Christmas marquees and the tearooms and all around the courtyard. So it is one huge undertaking and there are about 12 probably to 15,000 hand-wired baubles. That work begins in January. I know how fiddly that is because over the years I've often fixed baubles and done the wire again. That is a big big. Well January is coming up if you can come out. I'm joking. But it is a huge achievement. I love this red and gold theme. It's so traditional and it's been wonderful for Jordi and I to share. Everything coming together and it just makes the castle come alive in this Christmas theme. It really is stunning. So it's been a little tour behind the scenes at Christmas from the real Downton Abbey or otherwise Highclere Castle. Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas.