Christmas at the Castle: Did you know these facts about Warwick Castle?
Once home to William the Conqueror and Henry VIII, ITV News Central are live from Warwick Castle at 6pm tonight for the Christmas special programme.
The castle was first built back in 1086, and throughout the years, many have enjoyed the festive period on its grounds.
How has Christmas been celebrated throughout the years?
Daisy Greville countess of Warwick during the late 19th century loved Christmas. She would invite the local children on Boxing day to come to the castle for carol singing and mince pies. They would then be given presents from under the 20ft tree in the Great hall.
In 1894 Daisy would buy her children an Indian Elephant as a Christmas gift, it would roam the grounds of the castle until it got too large and had to be sold.
One Christmas in 1898 the family spent £176,000 (in todays money) on their Christmas banquet
During the English civil wars 1642 – 1651, Christmas was banned in Warwick and across England as Oliver Cromwell and the puritans felt it was too commercial. They even banned the eating of mince pies.
Mick Jagger spent Christmas at the castle Credit: ITV News Central Christmas parties were often very large at the castle and many famous guests would be invited, including Mick Jagger during a Christmas party in 1969!
Since the 1890s we have had carol singing in the castle and it’s a tradition we still uphold today
Timeline of Warwick Castle's history:
The castle was first built in 1068 on the orders of William the conqueror.
The castle was given by King William once it was finished to a man called Henry De Beaumont who was the first Earl of Warwick.
The castle was the home of the Earls of Warwick until 1978 when it was sold to Madame Tussauds.
The Great hall and private house were burnt down in 1871 and had to be largely rebuilt. The Great hall todays dates from 1875.
Charles Greville the 7th Earl of Warwick in the 1930s tried to become a movie star, he was in a film called the Dawn patrol and starred alongside Erol Flynn and David Niven.
The current Earl of Warwick is called Guy Greville and he now lives mostly in Perth, Australia.
Warwick castle had its own private zoo in the 1890s, including monkeys, emus, a baby elephant and peacocks.
The moat was never filled with water. Instead it would have been filled with sewage and spikes.