"I hope you will see this tree is a sign of friendship" and as "an expression of good neighbourly relations" - said HE The Norwegian Ambassador to the UK Wegger Christian Strømmen, presenting the main Britain's Christmas Tree - a spruce coming from Norway's capital city of Oslo at the lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square on Thursday, 5 December. The Mayor of Oslo Mrs Marianne Borgen was next to speak. Mrs Borgen said that the 2019 tree was "around 85 years old" and was 24 meters tall when it was cut down by the Lord Mayor of Westminster and herself in the municipal forest south-east of Oslo city centre on a rainy day in November. "For the next weeks this tree will spread its light to the people of London and everyone passing by. The light that this Christmas tree gives reminds us of what friendship and support means. Sending a Christmas Tree to London has been a yearly tradition since 1947. Giving this gift is not only an expression of gratitude for everything that London and the United Kingdom did for our country during World War II. It is also a symbol of a long-lasting friendship between our two countries. Not only people, but also countries and cities need friends, especially in these times of uncertainty and instability in the world. The bonds between London and Oslo remain strong. With this tree, I believe, that the friendship between our cities is growing stronger each year." "Together we are stronger" - concludes her speech the Mayor of Oslo before The Lord Mayor of Westminster Councillor Ruth Bush does the countdown for the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree switch-on. London, 5 December 2019 #TrafalgarSquareChristmasTree #TrafalgarSqare #ChristmasTree #NorwayAmbassadorToTheUK #TheMayorOfOslo #LordMayorOfWestminster #London