A Royal Christmas in Wartime: The Queen Mother's Visit to Stansted Park, 1939
In December 1939, as Britain entered its first wartime Christmas, Queen Elizabeth - wife of King George VI and later known as the Queen Mother - made a remarkable visit to Stansted House in Hampshire. Her overnight stay at the historic estate tells a powerful story of duty, compassion, and resilience during one of the nation's darkest hours.
By December 1939, Britain had been at war for just three months. The country was experiencing what would become known as the 'Phoney War'- a period of eerie calm before the devastating air raids that would come the following year. Yet even in these early months, the war had already transformed daily life beyond recognition.
In September, over 1.5 million people (mostly children) had been evacuated from British cities in Operation Pied Piper, the largest mass movement of civilians in the nation's history. Families were torn apart as parents made the agonising decision to send their children to safety in the countryside, entrusting them to the care of strangers.
The 9th Earl of Bessborough and his family at Stansted Park had answered the nation's call. In 1939, they welcomed evacuees from the Services Children's Home in Southsea, transforming their beautiful Edwardian mansion from a private family seat into a temporary home for children displaced by war.
This act of wartime hospitality was precisely what the royal family wished to acknowledge and encourage. As Britain's cities prepared for expected bombing raids, country houses across the nation were opening their doors to evacuees, becoming havens of safety during uncertain times.
Queen Elizabeth's decision to visit Stansted Park in December 1939 was both symbolic and practical. As Queen Consort, she understood the power of royal presence to boost morale and recognise extraordinary service during wartime. Her overnight stay at the estate allowed her to meet the evacuated children, thank the Bessborough family personally, and witness first-hand how Britain's historic houses were contributing to the war effort.
During her visit, the Queen planted a tree in the grounds of Stansted Park - a living symbol of hope for the future and a gesture that connected the Crown to the estate's wartime role. That tree still stands today, a quiet witness to a moment when royalty and everyday Britons united in common purpose.
The timing of the visit, during the Christmas season, would have been especially poignant. This was Britain's first wartime Christmas since 1918, and families across the nation were grappling with new realities: children spending the holidays away from home, rationing beginning to bite, and the constant uncertainty of what the new year might bring.
For the evacuated children at Stansted Park, the Queen's visit would have been an extraordinary moment - a glimpse of normalcy and occasion during a time when their lives had been turned upside down. For the Earl and Countess of Bessborough, it was recognition of the sacrifice involved in opening their home to those in need.
The Queen could not have known what lay ahead. Within months, the Phoney War would end with devastating force. The Blitz would begin in September 1940, validating the government's evacuation plans and triggering a second wave of children fleeing the cities. And Stansted Park itself would not escape unscathed - during the war, over 80 bombs would fall on the estate, and a German aircraft would crash on the cricket ground, killing its crew and causing extensive damage to the Chapel and house windows.
But in December 1939, in that moment of uncertainty between peace and the full horrors of war, the Queen's visit to Stansted Park represented the strength of community, the importance of sanctuary, and the role of historic houses as places of refuge and hope.
This Christmas, visitors to Stansted House can walk through the same rooms where Queen Elizabeth stayed in December 1939. The Edwardian mansion, beautifully decorated for the festive season, offers an 'upstairs, downstairs' experience that brings this remarkable period of history to life. You can learn more about Stansted Park here.
