Christmas 1914: 110 Years of the Truce and Princess Mary and her Gift

This December will mark the 110th anniversary of the famous 1914 Christmas Truce and the 1914 Princess Mary Christmas Gift, featuring the ubiquitous little brass tins.

Great War Huts invites you to join us for a special event and exhibition, in partnership with author and historian Professor Peter Doyle, in our original First World War Recreation Hut.

The Gift tins still survive in large numbers well over 100 years after the First World War. The story of the Gift, their Royal instigator, and the various contents, are often the subject of speculation and myth. This event will dispel the myths and, for the first time, will also feature an incredibly rare Spice Tin issued to Indian soldiers.

We believe that this will be the largest collection of Princess Mary Gift tins and contents to have been displayed in public. They will be on display at Great War Huts in a unique two-day exhibition which will include some of the rarest surviving pieces along with related paperwork, ephemera and some wonderful named examples with provenance.

To accompany this exhibition, Professor Doyle, will be giving a special talk about Princess Mary and her Gift, based on his book 'For Every Sailor Afloat, Every Soldier at the Front’, and will explain the significance of the recent discovery of the Indian Spice Tin.

In addition to Peter, Christmas Truce historian, Taff Gillingham, will be telling the story of the famous 1914 event which is much more interesting than it is often portrayed.

Each ticket includes a special limited exhibition catalogue telling the story of the Gifts and detailing the remarkable collection on display for this limited time. As usual at this time of year our Recreation Hut will be decorated in all its Edwardian festive splendour.

Itinerary:

1pm - Arrival / Doors

1:30pm - Welcome

1:40pm - "For Every Sailor Afloat, Every Soldier at the Front" - The Princess Mary Gift with Professor Peter Doyle

2:30pm - Tea / Coffee / Exhibition

4pm - "Christmas Day Passed Quietly" - The Story of the Christmas Truce with Taff Gillingham

4:50pm - Closing remarks

5pm - Event ends