Fact check: Trafalgar Square Christmas tree appears similar to previous years
Social media users have shared a post blaming a ‘poorly presented’ Christmas tree on London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
A widely shared social media post said: “The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, a symbol of Britain’s heritage and Christian faith, has been poorly presented under @MayorofLondon Sadiq Khan’s leadership.”
In the video attached to the post, the social media user said: “London is said to be one of the best cities in the world with one of the worst decorations of Christmas tree… this is a deliberate attempt by Mayor Sadiq Khan to undermine British values, Christianity.”
Evaluation
The decoration on this year’s tree does not appear to be significantly different from the Christmas trees that stood in Trafalgar Square before Mr Khan became Mayor of London. The Lord Mayor of Westminster and the British ambassador to Norway were present when this year’s tree was felled in Norway, but not Mr Khan.
The facts
Mr Khan was elected Mayor of London in May 2016.
Every year since 1947 a tree has been donated by Norway to London “in gratitude for Britain’s support for Norway during the Second World War”.
The tree is felled at a ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, the British ambassador to Norway and the Mayor of Oslo. The Mayor of London is not usually present.
This year’s tree-cutting ceremony was documented on social media by the British Embassy in Oslo. Mr Khan is not pictured.
The tree is decorated “in traditional Norwegian fashion, with vertical strings of lights”. Similar designs can be seen in Norway.
Pictures of the donated Christmas trees in December 7 2006, December 29, 2008 and December 3 2009 – all years before Mr Khan’s election – show very similar decorations on trees of a similar shape to this year’s .
Post on X (archived post and video)
London Elects – Election of the London Mayor (archived)
Mayor of London – Christmas at Trafalgar Square (archived)
British Embassy in Oslo on X (archived)
