hamas in october as israel by hamas in october as abominable, but he also said that ongoing strikes on gaza by israel were reaping an appalling harvest of innocent people . the harvest of innocent people. the pope's message comes after one of the deadliest nights of violence in gaza, with at least 100 people killed by airstrikes. israel's army says that it's investigating one attack after claims from the hamas backed health ministry that many of those killed were women and children. meanwhile, the palestinian red crescent says that bombings of major roads is complicating efforts to help critically wounded people . fire critically wounded people. fire crews were called to the office of a conservative mp last night after a suspected arson attack . after a suspected arson attack. police are investigating after mike fryer's office in north london was partially damaged by the blaze. mr fryer told gb news that the response from emergency services was excellent and luckily no one was in the building at the time.

luckily no one was in the building at the time . the 16 building at the time. the 16 year old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was stabbed in south london. officers were called to a home in bermondsey just after 10:00 on christmas eve. they treated a 22 year old for stab wounds , but she died at the wounds, but she died at the scene. gb news understands that the boy was known to the victim. he remains in custody. a man is dead and another in a serious condition. after a shooting at a restaurant in dublin. police were called to the scene at around 8:00 on christmas eve and found two men with gunshot wounds. both were taken to hospital . however, one, in his hospital. however, one, in his 20s, died from his injuries. police say they're investigating, but so far no arrests have been made . well, arrests have been made. well, it's officially one of the warmest christmas days on record. the coldest place in england is exeter airport, where temperatures dropped to 12.4 degrees between sunrise and sunset. it means that those dreaming of a white christmas will need to continue their

dreaming, unless you happen to be in northern scotland , where be in northern scotland, where there are some snowy patches and thousands of people across the country made the most of today's unseasonably mild weather by taking an early morning festive dip . swimmers in birmingham dip. swimmers in birmingham braved the waters in hats and costumes at sutton park's black root pool, and members of the serpentine swimming club took part in their annual peter pan cup in hyde park. the race has been held every year. since 1864. you'd have to drag me there. this is gb news across there. this is gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speaker by saying play gb news. now let's get back to .

jacob >> england was merrie england when old christmas brought his sports again. twas christmas broach the mightiest ale . twas broach the mightiest ale. twas christmas told. the merriest tale a christmas gambol oft could cheer the poor man's heart. through half the year. in this programme we're going to be discussing the origins of christmas . where it started, christmas. where it started, where it began . and we're going where it began. and we're going to talk about saint augustine and his visit to canterbury, bringing christianity with doctor david starkey , who wasn't doctor david starkey, who wasn't quite present when saint augustine came . and we're going augustine came. and we're going to look at how it evolved, how the medieval mind dealt with christmas, celebrated for 12 days, and then the puritans came and banned it, and for some time it was a shadow of its former

self. before the victorians reinvent , gutted self. before the victorians reinvent, gutted and restored it to its former glory, to the christmas we now know and enjoy. and i'll be discussing that with doctor tessa dunlop. but first, let's tread in the footsteps of saint augustine . non angley said saint augustine. non angley said angley. it's the great line of pope gregory when he saw anglo—saxon slaves in the market at rome. >> i think we'd better translate , hadn't we.7 >> , hadn't we? >> and not angles, but angels . >> and not angles, but angels. >> and not angles, but angels. >> oh dear. because of course in those days there was slavery . those days there was slavery. except there were white slaves and there were slavery under christianity. so we have these handsome blonde slave boys in the market, the pope's been told where they come from . and this where they come from. and this new place, which is called england from the angles, because, of course, england is a new name for an old place,

britannia. the actual province of the roman empire , which had of the roman empire, which had been one of the first to leave the empire. it's conquered by these mistletoe envious german tribes and pagan religion had come into britain . england, with come into britain. england, with the well , the gods really of the well, the gods really of wagner and so when gregory sent us augustine, having been inspired by the slave boys , inspired by the slave boys, saint augustine comes to the king ethelbert and queen bertha , king ethelbert and queen bertha, and her frankish nature is helpful in the conversion of england . if you like, you've england. if you like, you've actually got a sleeper here. she's a kind of sleeper. and of course , there were survivals of course, there were survivals of christianity , the older christianity, the older christianity. there were even existing tiny christian churches. and there was one of them in kent, saint martin's, where perhaps bertha herself worshipped, and certainly saint augustine is going to use . augustine is going to use. nevertheless, the place is pagan . it is a risk they are frightened. the anglo—saxon ones

have got a very legitimate reputation for savagery and cruelty. so there is a profound risk, which is why sainthood hangs upon him. >> and saint augustine wasn't actually that keen to come, was he? pope gregory had to put quite a lot of pressure on him and once he set off, he was very keen to go back for very. >> you're stepping into the unknown. are genuine unknown. these are genuine missionaries, charlie. missionaries, busy, charlie. england africa . the role england is like africa. the role forward to the 19th century. we send ministers, ministers, missionaries , ministers to missionaries, ministers to africa in exactly the same way that gregory had sent them to england. those hundreds of years before . before. >> well, we were talking about the origins of christianity in england and christmas taking over some elements that had been before , and then over the before, and then over the ensuing hundreds of years. it's enormously aggrandised. and perhaps when an ideal place to show that because we're in a

church designed by pugin in a medieval style that shows the greater glory of god , and that greater glory of god, and that happens not just to the buildings, but also to the celebration of christmas. >> absolutely true. and again, i'm just thinking of buildings. we were talking about anglo—saxon england. look at the tiny number of surviving anglo—saxon churches. they're tiny , they're simple. they get tiny, they're simple. they get bigger with the norms, the elaborate . as you go through the elaborate. as you go through the middle ages , as you said, the middle ages, as you said, the architecture moves in the direction of elaborate. so as far as we know, do the ceremonies . but there's another ceremonies. but there's another point, jacob. it's the issue of evidence. we are talking about things that ordinary people do. there's astonishingly little evidence , and it's only as you evidence, and it's only as you get really the 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 15th centuries that the evidence piles up. you know what a parish does? you know from it,

as always, its accounts . it's as always, its accounts. it's where you spend money. but what i think is, is again , very i think is, is again, very important to understand is in many ways how predictable the ceremonies are. and at the same time, lots of things that we think should be there don't seem to be the biggest and the simplest, of course, is decking the halls. we all know about christmas decorations. these don't come from wilko. if it still existed . you go in, you go still existed. you go in, you go literally and you gather the holly and the ivy. there's some evidence that holly inside with houses, ivy on the door. in other words, the antiquity of the christmas wreath. though of course, he would not have been arranged. you know, in, in that kind of constant spring fashion is very, very old. um, one thing that's strikingly missing . no that's strikingly missing. no mistletoe. >> you have the 12 days of christmas being the main part of the celebration , rather than we the celebration, rather than we now have the build up to

christmas. whereas advent was more of a mini lent where you were preparing you preparing yourself, you were abstaining, doing food . and that's doing without food. and that's right. and penance. and so on to prepare yourself for this. >> it was which again >> it was fast you which again of course made the binge of christmas all the more exciting and in exactly the same way, or rather the other way round . rather the other way round. wasn't it that with shrove tuesday you had to get rid of all the food because you were about to go into the great fast that begins on ash wednesday of lent itself as the middle ages go on, you're seeing and we tend to absorb the verdict of the scholars of the renaissance, and we sort of see the middle ages as this darkish period. in fact, it's an extra ordinary, complex, high civilisation, like all complex high civilisations , it complex high civilisations, it multiplies institutions . so you multiplies institutions. so you multiply colleges in oxford and cambridge, the inns of court in london get get larger, get better funded and more important

, significant people go there. finally of course, we haven't talked about what most people really care about at christmas. dare i say, jacob the gift. but of course the gift is not on christmas day . it's not on christmas day. it's not on boxing day . it's on the 1st of boxing day. it's on the 1st of january. and this we were talking before about the survival of ancient custom. this isn't going back to the anglo—saxons . this is going back anglo—saxons. this is going back to rome itself. because the 1st of january is the beginning of their year. it's also the beginning of the astrological yeah beginning of the astrological year. and the god of new year's day is, is the opener. januarius and he he presides over this. and he he presides over this. and what you're doing, you're sort of bribing him . you are sort of bribing him. you are getting good luck. um you are, of course . this is where, as it of course. this is where, as it were, the social pyramid turns very much the right way up. you give up rather than give. we are

used to the notion. yes. you give down, you give up. so the king will receive more generally than he gives back. so you get this. this day of high ceremony, and we've left out finally, of course, shakespeare's play 12th night, the performance of plays and acting. this is a time when they come in. do you know what we know very, very little about them. >> one thing i suppose we can see logically is that if you're going to have 12 days of holiday and 12 days of celebrating, you have to do something, but also you have to have it in the winter because you're basically an agrarian society and people are free, that if you did it in august, everybody would be expected to be working, bringing in the harvest, working or dying of london. in the harvest, working or dying of it's london. in the harvest, working or dying of it's very london. in the harvest, working or dying of it's very striking. in the harvest, working or dying of it's very striking . the >> it's very striking. the fitual >> it's very striking. the ritual year of the church very largely is contained in six months from advent to christmastide, and in terms secular terms , feasts like all

secular terms, feasts like all souls day, all saints day , 1st souls day, all saints day, 1st of november are very important, though less important. ecclesiastical the great cluster of feasts is the late winter , of feasts is the late winter, the spring and the early summer , the spring and the early summer, leaving you time to get on with the harvest. >> and this then all changes. so people have got to this high point of an elaborate christmas. the court ceremonial, all the way down to the peasant in his cottage. >> the invention of printing, you see, and the spread of handwriting. this is why we know about this, that this is the late middle ages is the point of suddenly the explosion of records , and we assume that it records, and we assume that it has evolved from saint augustine arriving . arriving. >> we don't know the speed with which it happened. we just know the end point. and then suddenly it's gone. but it's not approved of the king wants to get rid of it. and that works its way throughout society . throughout society. >> it begins different early, with no specific attack on

christmas, but instead the upheaval and what this church is about. this particular church, andindeed about. this particular church, and indeed catholicism in england as it's developed, is an attempt at restoration. it's an attempt at restoration. it's an attempt to going back beyond this enormous rupture in our society, which is the rupture brought about, on the one hand, by the most extraordinary trivial of circumstances . henry trivial of circumstances. henry the eighth, falling out of love with one woman and into love with one woman and into love with another. but invoking this most gigantic change of our society. and christmas eventually is a central victim . eventually is a central victim. >> now it's time for a quart of mead. but when we come back, we'll be exploring the effects of the reformation on christmas in britain. in.

gb news radio. >> so we've left behind the medieval era , the 12 days of medieval era, the 12 days of christmas, the great celebrations in catholic england as the reformation comes in and we're here at loseley park, a house that was familiar to elizabeth the first, though she said it wasn't meet for her to tarry here where they would have started with a tudor christmas . started with a tudor christmas. >> and i'm going to be told about this by the great historian of this period, doctor david starkey . thanks well, david starkey. thanks well, david, we're here in the molyneux moor house house built in the 1560s, the reign of elizabeth first. but the estate had come, i believe, from , um, had come, i believe, from, um, the master of henry the eighth revels. did the master of the revels. did the master of the

revels do , uh, he supervised revels do, uh, he supervised revelling , and he provided the revelling, and he provided the material for revelling. >> and what's extraordinary about this house, it actually incorporates stuff directly from the court of henry the eighth. and it's here fitted into the walls , and you can actually see walls, and you can actually see an air, air. so it's designed to tell us exactly what it is. but of course , decorating with of course, decorating with extensively painted panels is something that only the super rich like a king could do. here again, the decorations of this table used conifer using fir branches . it's exactly what they branches. it's exactly what they would have done , though they would have done, though they seem to have preferred the well, the holly and the ivy . holly the holly and the ivy. holly inside ivy outside. let's use apparently of mistletoe, but i'm sure they got their hands on it. whether do you know what? i'm now going to confess? ignorance i do not know whether you kissed under the mistletoe in the 16th century. >> this is a christmas that if henry the eighth were to walk in, he would not entirely in, he would not be entirely unfamiliar with.

>> that's right. he >> i think that's right. he would, i think, regard the fact that there was this strange stuff called pottery, was stuff called pottery, which was only just beginning to come in. it's really rather vulgar. one ate off gold and silver , but, ate off gold and silver, but, but, but a but apart from these gestures of lowliness , he would gestures of lowliness, he would have been relatively at . home. have been relatively at. home. >> so, david, we're here in leslie park, which is perhaps the perfect place to discuss the transition from christmas past to christmas yet to come. that is to say, the christmas fading away . yes. henry vii's master of away. yes. henry vii's master of the revels owns the property . it the revels owns the property. it then gets built as a new house in the reign of elizabeth. first as the change from the old medieval christmas to eventually the abolition of christmas by cromwell is beginning its early stages. so what is that? late

henrician, early elizabethan christmas like? >> pretty much what the medieval christmas had been. many of the gentry tend to be very conservative. not all of them. some of them, of course, are at the cutting edge of religious reform. on the other hand, the social pressures on them to keep up the old style of life are very considerable. but you can see it's quite a tradition. final new house we're in what is really a an elizabethan version of a medieval great hall. we're sitting in the shadow of the or indeed the light, if a sitting in the shadow of the or indeed the light , if a little indeed the light, if a little more light outside of the oriel window, which would illuminated the dais, were where the family sit, and below here, um , in some sit, and below here, um, in some sort of order, are the servants. and down there you've actually got still all the screens with over them a little minstrels gallery rebuilt in an actual

later style, and doors going through that would originally have led to the kitchen and the buttery. so this is, this is this refresh is a medieval space designed for the communal world of the medieval household. >> and that communal world would have been particularly present at christmas, when they would all been in the hall, but all have been in the hall, but with master the mistress with the master and the mistress of the house there. of the house on there. >> we imagine and the >> yes, we imagine so. and the gift is to your senior, gift giving is to your senior, isn't the blackadder depiction >> so the blackadder depiction of elizabeth the first, desperately grasping for gifts from her courtiers, it's actually fair enough, isn't it? >> will you? it's reciprocal as well. you. but you do give up. um and you receive more token gifts down. elizabeth, for example , is notoriously mean , example, is notoriously mean, and she prefers cash. there's no nonsense about coming up. you're sweating hours , coming up with sweating hours, coming up with an appropriate gift, particularly from her bishops. she expects hard, cold gold .

she expects hard, cold gold. >> and what were the puritans most keen to get rid of? you mentioned the penultimate night, the 5th of january, when it's all coming to an end and everyone's having their biggest celebration. but what do they think of some of the pagan symbolism , the bringing in of symbolism, the bringing in of holly and ivy into the house, those those symbols of ancient religions ? religions? >> i think they're more concerned , learned about the concerned, learned about the feasting. they're more concerned about the sense of the bacchanalian excess . remember bacchanalian excess. remember that. that's what it is. it's the saturnalia. it's the feast in which the year turns . you in which the year turns. you escape from winter. but i think it's equally important that we don't overplay the attack on christmas at this point, at least the attack on christmas in england, the puritans are those who take their religion seriously. and what they are keen to do above all, is to honour the sabbath. so christmas they're less fussed about because they don't regard

christmas as a serious occasion. it's not specified in the bible . it's not specified in the bible. you're not told to commemorate it. in the bible. there are no rules suggested in either the old or new testament for its observance , because of course, observance, because of course, it's an artificial feast. they don't get terribly cross about christmas. what? they're much crosser about is trying to enforce what they regarded as a proper holy discipline on the lord's day. the attack on christmas really gathers much stronger force as you get into the 17th century english reformation was an absolute a top down. it's imposed from above by the monarch, leaving the monarch as either supreme head under henry the eighth or supreme governor under elizabeth. the church that is not the case in scotland . the not the case in scotland. the reformation in scotland was forced on an absentee crown and it takes a form of full

presbyterianism, of full calvinism and their christmas had already been abolished. it had already been abolished. it had already been declared illegal, so a scottish influence becomes more predominant and particularly , of course, and particularly, of course, and this fact has been carefully eliminated from our consciousness. the earliest stages of the civil war in england are a scottish conquest and part of the deal is that presbyterianism is to be imposed in england and christmas therefore, is to be abolished . therefore, is to be abolished. >> and what's so interesting about all of this is that there was a feeling amongst historians, and certainly as history was taught to children, that you have the reformation and everything changes and everybody suddenly gets bored with altars and all the things that they believed for 1000 years before they no longer believe. they believe something new and actually more modern scholarship has said that there was a much longer process of change and this fits in with that perfectly. doesn't it? it's 100 years of change before , for 100 years of change before, for the puritans get their way and

have different christmas. have the different christmas. it's not it's not like the illuminations. >> we don't just turn them on and yeah, but i expect a and off. yeah, but i expect a lot of watching were lot of people watching were taught history in the way i was and thought of it as schoolchildren, as if the light switch had been turned and as if everybody obediently went along with it. >> so when edward becomes >> so when edward vi becomes king, they become very king, they all become very protestant. becomes protestant. mary becomes queen. they're catholic again. they're all very catholic again. elizabeth first becomes queen, and protestant and they're all protestant again. it'sjust not and they're all protestant again. it's just not like that. it isn't much longer. the more elaborate evolution . so much elaborate evolution. so much better. being catholic . it better. being catholic. it really is. >> yeah . >> yeah. >> yeah. >> no. drink this time during this intermission because we'll be exploring the interregnum , be exploring the interregnum, puritanism and the era without christmas in britain .

listening to gb news radio. >> turn out the lights. so snuff the candles. christmas is banished . that was what happened banished. that was what happened dunng banished. that was what happened during the reign of oliver cromwell . but it didn't during the reign of oliver cromwell. but it didn't come out of nowhere . it came as of nowhere. it came as a consequence of the reformation and of the changes that that led to. it was a surprisingly slow process . yes. and i'm delighted process. yes. and i'm delighted that professor david starkey is going to explain to us in detail how this extraordinary change happened , but also why it was happened, but also why it was undonein happened, but also why it was undone in when charles ii came back to the throne . you've built back to the throne. you've built the ground work from . the 1530s the ground work from. the 1530s

through. turn out lights . snuff the turn out lights. snuff the candles . christmas is banished . candles. christmas is banished. but that was what happened dunng but that was what happened during the reign of oliver cromwell . but it didn't during the reign of oliver cromwell. but it didn't come out of nowhere , for it came as of nowhere, for it came as a consequence of the reformation and of the changes that that led to. it was a surprisingly slow process, and i'm delighted that professor david starkey is going to explain to us in detail how how this extraordinary change happened , but also why it was happened, but also why it was undone when charles ii came back to the throne . you've built the to the throne. you've built the groundwork for from the 1530s through to, to the 1640s for a

feeling that a long celebration of christmas isn't godly if it's not godly , you shouldn't do it. not godly, you shouldn't do it. you should be much more serious about it . and then cromwell about it. and then cromwell comes along and he formally bans christmas day. parliament sits on christmas day, and i was leader of the house and we were trying to get brexit done. i would tease people by saying, well, we have to do what cromwell did and sit on christmas day again, as you can imagine. but of course, it's not just christmas. >> it's again, it's the maypole. i mean, the maypole is one of the principal principal symbols of a of popular rebellion. of a kind of popular rebellion. but they're very but remember, they're very sophisticated about it. again, they are fully aware they hadn't listened to our first discussion on that, but they are very aware that the early, early christianity had incorporated pagan customs . um, they knew, of pagan customs. um, they knew, of course, that christmas was essentially timed as it was, because of midwinter festivals . because of midwinter festivals. they knew that the 1st of

january was a day of gift giving because the romans had done it. it continued to have its astrological significance . and astrological significance. and all of these things which which the early church had shrugged its shoulders about by the point , by the time that you've got into the this post—reformation world, you don't shrug your shoulders about them . you say shoulders about them. you say it's downright wicked. it has its origins in heathenism . we its origins in heathenism. we are fighting against heathenism . are fighting against heathenism. we are not compromising with it. you know, the whole the whole quality of the puritan is the refusal to compromise the that they are. i remember my dear mother was a typical northern puritan, and i was used to say she used the word principle well, the whole of the time. and what a principle she meant. it was something i felt about so strongly. i won't listen to reason on this subject. and. and you . but these were these were you. but these were these were men and women. we mustn't forget this of principle . and they this of principle. and they thought the behaviour that we were, that you were, that you

were, that you were, that you were being charming and sweet and, you know, languorously sympathetic towards. they thought it was wicked and it was it was also again, it was self—improvement. it was associate with drunkenness, with life science, the things that actually destroy respectable deity, that destroy your ability to achieve economic self—sufficiency and prosperity and so on. >> and you were part of the elect and if you were part of the elect, you had to behave yourself because, um, although it didn't change your chance of salvation , you needed prove salvation, you needed to prove to yourself were worthy to yourself you were worthy of salvation. yes. >> even more, i mean, >> and even more, i mean, moreover , i mean, again, it's moreover, i mean, again, it's very, very similar to woke. >> now you think everybody else because you know, of course, that your principles are the right principles , that there are right principles, that there are no other principles. everybody else, even those who are wicked, must be compelled to behave. so the machine of compulsion. it's very important we understand this , that the, the pressure at

this, that the, the pressure at pansh this, that the, the pressure at parish level and remember the better off have a very , very better off have a very, very powerful hold on the less well off they control the poor law, they control the, as it were, day to day administration of magistracy and so on. the public humiliation of those who have been guilty of adultery or having having a child out of wedlock, you know, the parading in your shirt. well, that means you're pretty well naked. it's very difficult for us to comprehend this, particularly the modern church of england , to the modern church of england, to be loving and caring and whatever its social discipline, you've your puritan you've got your puritan revolution , you've got cromwell revolution, you've got cromwell in charge , you've had a build up in charge, you've had a build up of 100 years that allows you and you've turned control of legislation and force, and the machinery of the state. >> you have taken dictatorial powers . you've expelled mps you powers. you've expelled mps you don't like from parliament. you've been much less a democrat than remember the first thing that cromwell does after cutting off the head of the king is to

aboush off the head of the king is to abolish parliament. >> one forgets this , that, and >> one forgets this, that, and you never able to you are never able to reconstruct any form of working polity from that point onwards. >> and you try and then you have pride's purge and all of these things going on, and you think that christmas is evil because of its origins and because people drunk enjoy people get drunk and enjoy themselves in way that is themselves in a way that is ungodly , so you it. um, but ungodly, so you ban it. um, but people don't take any notice. >> oh yes, they do. i mean, there is immense social pressure. i mean, that you know, you what we forget we had a penod you what we forget we had a period of military government. we had cromwell was a military dictatorship. there were the major generals and things are enforced and they're enforced brutally. there is resist . yes, brutally. there is resist. yes, but there is brutal enforcement. well maypoles are cut down all organs are ripped. i mean, again, we forget the sheer destructiveness , the you can destructiveness, the you can still see it of some of the great theatres. well, you can see it particularly at ely. but again , musical instruments, the

again, musical instruments, the civil war is a war of organs is the, the, uh again in the early 17th century, as , as part of the 17th century, as, as part of the reaction against puritanism, which is such a strong feature of the first first years of charles, the first reign. archbishop laud believes in. again, we haven't talked about the beauty of holiness . it's the the beauty of holiness. it's the idea of ceremony renee, the idea of religion is essentially sensuous, of sacramental. in other words, that these are meanings too deep for words that are to be expressed by symbolic action. and that's clearly, if you actually believe in the sacrament , it goes beyond the sacrament, it goes beyond the merely symbolic into actual change and so on. all of that's there. and then so you're putting back the organ , you're putting back the organ, you're putting back the organ, you're putting back the altar. you're sometimes even crucifixes. you're certainly putting the communion table to the east end of the church or railing it round. you are putting candles and candlesticks and all the

rest . it's a and candlesticks and all the rest. it's a period of astonishing , um, astonishingly astonishing, um, astonishingly sharp changes. the early 18th century things calm down and those passions on either side would diminish. there is an increased belief in rationality, increased belief in rationality, in good sense, so everything gets rather flat. the passions die and the traditions die because of course, the pressures for social conformity , the for social conformity, the pressures for improvement , the pressures for improvement, the pressures for improvement, the pressures for improvement, the pressures for a moralising society do very strongly continue. this is, in its way very satisfactory . very satisfactory. >> you have the medieval christmas house. you have a long interregnum, and then you have a restoration which we to some extent enjoy. and we need that restoration in our constitution as well as in our christmas. professor david starkey, thank you very much indeed. >> and merry christmas and a merry christmas, one and all.

>> i think now some sweet sherry will be looking at how the victorians shaped the modern day british christmas .

well, we've talked about the medieval christmas and its excitements and the changes that happened at the reformation . but happened at the reformation. but now we need to explain how we get to the christmas we enjoy and that's come through the victorians. and who better to explain that to me than doctor tessa dunlop? tessa, lovely to see you today. >> i am playing lady of the manor and we've got a real treat in store for excellent . jacob

in store for excellent. jacob and i have come to eastwell manor nowadays is a luxury country hotel and spa. but before it was rebuilt in the 1920s, this was an enormous georgian residence where queen victoria's second son, alfred, the duke of edinburgh and his family lived , with impressive family lived, with impressive royal connections . it was quite royal connections. it was quite the place to be seen in the late 19th century, and of course , in 19th century, and of course, in among the shooting and the countryside frolics, the high point of the calendar for it was christmas. let me reveal more inside . jacob christmas. let me reveal more inside .jacob happy christmas. let me reveal more inside . jacob happy christmas , inside. jacob happy christmas, happy christmas! >> oh, on this occasion i've won. now tell me, um, tessa, you are a great expert on the victorian christmas, which becomes the christmas as we know . so it crackers are part of this. where are the where's the cracker come from? >> ah, well, this, dare i say , >> ah, well, this, dare i say, it is part french inspired .

it is part french inspired. don't let that put you off, jacob. i won't. would you like to take a pause for the joke? >> i will. why does a what does a snail do on christmas day ? a snail do on christmas day? this is very good, i like this get sluggish. celebrates it. get sluggish. it celebrates it. >> oh, wonderful. let me try how. >> now. >> i think that's because it's been at the sherry . been at the sherry. >> so the french part is because a confectioner, a british confectioner . none other a confectioner, a british confectioner. none other than tom smith , goes over to paris tom smith, goes over to paris and discovers that bonbons are available . sugared almonds and available. sugared almonds and the like in twists of paper. so he runs with that idea, and he attaches it to a cracker that goes snap. and by the later victorian period, you don't just get a sweetie , but it's been get a sweetie, but it's been replaced, in fact, by a hat and a small gift. do we have a gift? >> i don't think we do. in this particular one, they were quite cheap. >> well , am i cheap. >> well, am i allowed to admit that they're not provided by the hotel, which i think would have provided higher quality crackers? >> but what fascinates me about this, just the cracker and the

example it we think are example of it that we think are christmas is from time immemorial . all the things we immemorial. all the things we do, all the things we take for granted, are the invention of the victorians . the victorians. >> they they are. if you like. they turned christmas into something of a religious part time celebration at the turn of the 19th century, most businesses didn't give their staff necessarily holidays for christmas . that changes by the christmas. that changes by the middle of the century. it's been turned around and we can give a huge amount of credit to the royal family for that christmas starts in the victorian period. >> it's part early technology, it's part early bank holidays come in towards the end of the 19th century, but also it's imitation of the royal family, isn't it? they do it and therefore everybody else follows , which is one of the reasons why i've brought you to here eastwell manor, when it its eastwell manor, when it has its big christmas moment. >> is the home to queen >> it is the home to queen victoria's second son. none other than alfred the duke of edinburgh. not to be confused with the later duke of

edinburgh, philip, do you want me to take this off? are you finding it a little distracting? >> it's very elegant, but, um, not necessarily necessary for the whole of conversation . the whole of our conversation. so, um, prince alfred comes here. it's his country residence. he's here at christmas . and his daughter, who christmas. and his daughter, who goes on to be queen of, um, romania for queen marie, writes about it. and what was going on. >> yeah, she absolutely loved eastwell park. she wrote a best selling memoir that was published in the 1930s. she was the daughter , not just of the daughter, not just of victoria's second son, alfred , victoria's second son, alfred, but also the daughter of marie, russian marie from the tsar alexander the second. so extra ordinary royal blood and she writes beautifully of the import of this place , particularly, but of this place, particularly, but not only at christmas , their not only at christmas, their first residence. if you like their city residence. but she writes here. the christmas tree

was set up in the big library, whilst the presents were laid out on white covered tables all around the walls of the room . around the walls of the room. but what mysteries went on beforehand and quite beautifully , she illustrates memories of being taken away by the servants, and they all get to stir the very stiff christmas pudding, a bit like i imagine, what happens in your house in somerset. >> well, i'm not sure we're quite as traditional as that, but but again, this is where royal things then spread. so the christmas tree is in the room. the lit christmas tree. and that was something that prince albert brought back into britain. >> that's right. so her grandfather albert , as we know, grandfather albert, as we know, was a german. he marries victorian. they introduced the idea of this christmas tree and there are illustrations of them. i think by the mid—19th century , i think by the mid—19th century, the family, the christmas tree , the family, the christmas tree, this idea that the beating heart of the british christmas is royal. and it's also popular and it's constitutionally

interesting, isn't it? >> because william, the fourth last king to fire a prime minister. victoria has lost constitutional power. the great reform bill has taken it away , reform bill has taken it away, and the royal family has to reinvent itself as something. what is its purpose ? its and its what is its purpose? its and its purpose becomes the idealised family. faux pas based very much on christmas . on christmas. >> beautifully said . they >> beautifully said. they replace political power with popularity effectively and there is victoria. she's hardly a hands on mother, but she does have nine children, so it's very easy to get the appropriate photo op, which her children then run with. and we hear this from marie , who gives wonderful from marie, who gives wonderful accounts. she says at last christmas eve was there, and the library doors, which had been kept closed for several days, were thrown open and there stood the tree. a blaze of light. and the tree. a blaze of light. and the best thing is, she says, one of the most indelible memories of the most indelible memories of christmas was, wait for it. the delicious fragrance of singe fir branches so inseparable from

christmas. >> so you're burning your house down to celebrate christmas, which fortunately doesn't become part of the more general celebration . celebration. >> we've got mince pies. >> we've got mince pies. >> indeed we do. we've always had mince pies. >> well, yes, but in tudor times it was meat. perhaps this was the first vegetarian movement in the first vegetarian movement in the century. it becomes the 19th century. it becomes sweetmeats. a more commonly associated with mince pies, as opposed to red meats and therefore it's safe for everyone to know it's not. >> they're definitely not vegetarian . and also all the vegetarian. and also all the best mince pies have lard in them, everything some. so them, everything in some. so it's the tip top, as it's always the best tip top, as they say. um would like they say. um would you like a little. let's go on wander to little. let's go on a wander to the christmas tree . the the christmas tree. the christmas we sing christmas tree. and we sing a song tree. song to christmas tree. >> it's rude to sing with your mouth full. >> so , tesla, there's the >> so, tesla, there's the perfect house for another christmas staple. >> the parlour games. >> the parlour games. >> yes. >> yes. >> and of course, marie remembers it as a child seeming enormous . the remembers it as a child seeming enormous. the ideal venue. remembers it as a child seeming enormous . the ideal venue. well, enormous. the ideal venue. well, it's not small, as you can see from that picture. no, it's

rather wonderful that, isn't it? celebrate being the new residence of the duke and duchess of edinburgh. now this was a time when papa very much came to life . otherwise he was came to life. otherwise he was a rare father . that meant not rare father. that meant not around very often . around very often. >> well, fathers were often busy. >> indeed , jacob. >> indeed, jacob. >> indeed, jacob. >> some fathers are often busy . >> some fathers are often busy. um, but at christmas time the duke of edinburgh played the ogre for his numerous offspring. i don't know if that. >> well, it's a worthy cause, as i've always modelled myself from the mummy, the 1930s film, and the priest is reincarnated and i wander around like this, and the children would flee , um, in children would flee, um, in terror and daddy, daddy didn't do that . but now they're beyond do that. but now they're beyond that stage . that stage. >> well, with these hallways , >> well, with these hallways, all the lights were switched off. and in those days, pitch dark was pitch dark. there was no sort of wi—fi or glow in the corner. and she said it was properly terrifying. but of course , all felt much better course, all felt much better when the doors of the library were flung open and the tree was

a wonder to behold. and do you know what the thing about know what the best thing about the tree was? back then? >> you tell me . the baubles, the >> you tell me. the baubles, the smell of burning fur, indeed, all of those things. >> but sometimes his presence would embedded in the tree. would be embedded in the tree. oh look, what do i have for here jacob? >> here's one you prepared early. indeed. thank you very much. absolutely delicious ice. just the sort of chocolate i like. so thank you. >> initially, of course, on christmas day, just little bits of fruit, chocolate , sweetmeats of fruit, chocolate, sweetmeats hanging on the tree. and later on in the 19th century, we industrialised asian little wind up toys, bits and bobs actually had to be laid underneath the tree because were so tree because they were so prolific its prolific and its industrialisation mechanisation. >> that means that affordable knickknacks can produced and knickknacks can be produced and everybody can now have them. >> indeed , not for royalty >> indeed, not just for royalty and those and such as those with large houses, people like you. yes >> you took the words straight out of my mouth. now, the thing is, if you eat a lot of chocolate, there's one other staple on christmas day that's a must. the outdoor

must. and that's the outdoor store jump. marie was a great celebrator of the english walk . celebrator of the english walk. will we take a little meander in the grounds? >> as long as it's only little. >> as long as it's only little. >> i'm not a great one for extensive stomps in the cold weather. i quite like the burning fire, but a little walk to see the outside side of princess former princess marie's former residence. well, the and residence. well, the duke and duchess edinburgh's former residence. >> you don't residence. >> you mean you don't walk off your turkey ? i'm shocked. your turkey? i'm shocked. >> hither . here we go. >> come hither. here we go. really >> we should add wellington boots . boots. >> well, what could be better than this at any time of year? this beautiful countryside, elegant gardens, exquisite views. it must have been very happy for princess marie . happy for princess marie. >> yeah, it really is the best of england. and interestingly, we know she was hugely proud to be queen of romania , but always be queen of romania, but always in her heart . be queen of romania, but always in her heart. she identified as an english woman first and foremost. that's what she felt . foremost. that's what she felt. and during world war i, she

would always remind people, i have english blood in my veins, and when you come here you realise why. >> yeah, but you're not. >> yeah, but you're not. >> she did any english >> she did have any english blood, she? it was all german. >> she. we never refer to the foreign aspects of our royal family . family. >> so ? >> so? >> so? >> so? >> so you've eaten all your turkey. you're full to the gunnels. you've played your indoor games. what does the royal child do next? with no tv , royal child do next? with no tv, noipad royal child do next? with no tv, no ipad and not even any gb news heaven forfend . heaven forfend. >> no gb news i know. >> no gb news i know. >> can you imagine? >> can you imagine? >> unimaginable. but come on, even you couldn't compete with these spectacular grounds . this these spectacular grounds. this was the great outdoor playroom for children . they put on their for children. they put on their sable lined capes and their little boots, and they kicked in the leaves and they climbed trees and things that have since really rather disappeared. we know that marie went tobogganing. she skated on the lake. i've toboggan. >> my children have toboggan. all this climate alarmism is

going a bit far. >> yes, but, jacob, you're very old. >> i am very ancient . the impact >> i am very ancient. the impact history has on our lives is seen so clearly in christmas day. >> of course, we go back to the fundamental principle that today a saviour has been born to us. he is christ the lord. but we then see how that evolves into an extraordinary set of ceremonies , mainly not that ceremonies, mainly not that ancient , but ceremonies, mainly not that ancient, but dependent on our victorian forebears. just remains for me to wish you a very happy and blessed christmas . in the words of walter scott heap on more wood, the wind is chill, but let it whistle as it will. we'll keep our christmas merry. we still.

>> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb solar sponsors of weather on. gb news. hello there! >> i'm greg dewhurst and welcome to your latest gb news. whether we've had quite a wet christmas day , but the good news is that day, but the good news is that rain is clearing and for boxing day it will be much drier and brighter as this brief ridge of high pressure starts to build in. however, it doesn't last long before weather long before further weather weather move in as weather systems move in as we head into wednesday, so this evening time , rain still evening time, rain still clearing the far southeast . some clearing the far southeast. some showery rain for northern ireland. southern scotland, northern a time, but northern england for a time, but for majority overnight. for the vast majority overnight. it's dry with clear spells, some wintry showers across wintry showers continue across northern parts of scotland. some icy stretches here. elsewhere, temperatures lower than they have been of late, but still fairly mild across southern counties of england wales . counties of england and wales. so it means a bright start to boxing day. plenty of sunny

spells, a chilly start, icy stretches slowly melting away across parts of scotland and then, for most, a dry, bright day . plenty of hazy sunshine, day. plenty of hazy sunshine, though the cloud thickening from the southwest through into the afternoon. outbreaks of rain developing fresher day developing here, a fresher day for everyone. temperatures nearer to average 4 to 7 celsius. milder air returning across the southwest . then it's across the southwest. then it's very unsettled on wednesday . very unsettled on wednesday. outbreaks of heavy rain. strong winds push across the country, snow across the scottish hills. two and temperatures remain well above average for the time of yeah above average for the time of year. some of that rain will be heavy at times and it stays unsettled through thursday and friday. further showery rain in places and temperatures above average

gb news. good evening, i'm ray addison in the gb newsroom . the gb newsroom. >> in a matter of mere moments, we'll have our headliners. but first, our top stories tonight.

labour considering plans to labour is considering plans to process asylum seekers claims overseas, according to a report in the times, shadow home secretary yvette cooper and shadow immigration minister stephen kinnock have reportedly been speaking to asylum experts to draw up an alternative way to stop migrants crossing the channelin stop migrants crossing the channel in small boats. the plan would see asylum seekers have their claims processed in a second country, with successful applicants allowed to enter the uk . labour leader sir keir uk. labour leader sir keir starmer has previously dismissed the government's rwanda scheme , the government's rwanda scheme, calling it a gimmick. conservative mp mike freer, whose constituency office was the target of a suspected arson attack, has told gb news it remains a crime scene as police continue to investigate . fire continue to investigate. fire crews were called to the building in north london on christmas eve after it was partially damaged by the blaze. the mp told us that police are examining cctv footage and he doesn't yet know when his office will be released. back to him.

no one was in the building at the time of the incident . the the time of the incident. the chief inspector of prisons in england and wales is warning that there's a danger people are leaving jail far worse than when they went in. speaking to the independent, charlie taylor said that former prisoners could go on to cause , quote, mayhem in on to cause, quote, mayhem in communities and create more victims of crime . he also said victims of crime. he also said that keeping prisoners locked up doesn't feel like a great use of taxpayers money, and whichever party wins the next election must decide what the purpose of locking criminals up. actually is. the king used his christmas address today to focus on and give thanks to the nation's volunteers , describing them as volunteers, describing them as a selfless army. his majesty said they are the essential backbone of our society . he thanked the of our society. he thanked the hundreds of volunteers who attended his coronation in westminster abbey earlier on this year, and said that their presence was a call to all of us to love and care for all on this

christmas day . christmas day. >> my