It may be taking the credit crunch a bit far to give your loved ones a joint of meat, plum pudding, blanket or a flannel petticoat on Christmas Day, but following some of Queen Victoria’s festive money-saving measures may not come amiss this year!

This month Osborne House on the Isle of Wight will be opening its doors to provide festive tours and offer up some of, Queen Victoria’s tips and ideas for a frugal but fun Christmas.

Decorating your home with garlands of dried herbs and ferns, tying sweets and strings of almonds and raisins to your Christmas tree, making your own cards and switching off the TV to put on some good old fashioned family entertainment in the way Queen Victoria celebrated at Osborne House, will all help to ease the squeeze as we tighten our belts.

Find out how the festive season was marked at Osborne House over 100 years ago on guided tours, take place on Wednesdays to Sundays from 8th November until 4th January. 

In the atmospheric surroundings of her favourite home, beautifully decorated in the traditional festive style she loved, visitors can hear how the queen spent almost all of her Christmases at Osborne following Prince Albert’s early death in 1861, until her last Christmas in 1900 – she died at Osborne soon afterwards on 22 January 1901.

Expert guides will give an insight into the festivities enjoyed in the royal household – above and below stairs.  Trees were lit when presents were exchanged on Christmas Eve and relit on Christmas Day.  Gifts were graded according to the rank and station of the recipients – labourers received meat or plum pudding while their wives were given blankets or flannel petticoats! 

Members of the royal household received more generous gifts of small items of jewellery, perhaps with a pocket book and gingerbread man, while close family received more personal presents, including items made by themselves – many of which can still be seen at Osborne today.  Plays and music provided entertainment.   

Queen Victoria never scrimped on food however, with no fewer than five courses consisting of 12 dishes being served at Osborne on Christmas Day 1896 – not to mention the side table featuring a baron of beef, woodcock pie, brawn, wild boar’s head and game pie! 

Tours take in the ground floor rooms and last around an hour.  They can be combined with a stroll through Osborne’s wonderful grounds and lunch in the waiter-service Terrace Restaurant.  Prices are £10 for adults, £8 for concessions, £5 for children and £25 for a family ticket.  Tours are free for English Heritage members.  An exhibition, shop and café in the Petty Officers Quarter’s are also open. 

Guided Victorian christmas tours take place from 10am-4pm on Wednesdays to Sundays from November 8 to January 4 (except November 22/23, December 24-26 and January 1.)  Booking is recommended – call 01983 200022 for more information or visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/osbornehouse