Westminster and Oslo mayors Patricia McAllister and Anne Lindboe at work [Sturlason/City of Oslo]

A GIANT Christmas tree has been cut down in Norway and is headed to Trafalgar Square, a tradition Westminster City Council says is not about to end any time soon.

The annual gift is from the people of Oslo in thanks for Britain’s support for their king during the Second World War, the tradition dating back 76 years.

This tree, 19 metres tall and around 70 years old, will be driven 100 kilometres, then shipped to the UK and taken by lorry to Westminster, before being erected with a hydraulic crane.

With the world facing a climate catastrophe, eyebrows are being raised about the process, with questions asked about whether the 2023 tree could be the final offering.

Ambassador to Norway Jan Thompson, left, with Oslo mayor Anne Lindboe, centre, and Westminster’s Patricia McAllister [Sturlason/City of Oslo]

A council official dismissed the rumours, and said: “I have spoken to the Mayor of Oslo office and as far as we are both concerned the tradition will continue. It’s such a lovely story and there is a powerful meaning behind the tree, of solidarity and friendship. We are confident the tradition will carry on.”

The towering spruce has been targeted for several years by critics suggesting online that it was not bushy enough for its prominent location. The tree has been shamed as “embarrassing” and “anaemic” and in 2021 there were calls on Oslo politicians to consider sending funds to Westminster to buy a better replacement.

Workers with the spruce [Sturlason/City of Oslo]

The Lord Mayor of Westminster and the British Ambassador to Norway travel to Norway each year to take part in the tree-felling ceremony, in Nordmarka, the forests north of Oslo city centre.

And the event is also attended by primary school children, officials and forest workers.

King Haakon VII escaped from his country when Germany invaded in 1940 and a government-in-exile was set up in the UK. News broadcasts were made in Norwegian from London to his country, keeping hope of freedom alive.

“The Oslo Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square symbolises the close and warm relationship between the people of Norway and the people of Britain,” said Westminster City Council.