Trafalgar Square tree: London's famous Christmas tree on its way from Norway
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Lord Mayor of Westminster Patricia McAllister (on the left) and Mayor of Oslo Anne Lindboe (on the right) helped to cut down the spruce
London's famous Trafalgar Square Christmas tree has started its journey from Norway to the UK.
The iconic tree is a gift from the city of Oslo - Norway's capital city, and forms part of a longstanding tradition between the two cities going back more than 70 years.
The spruce will arrive in central London at the start of December ahead of an official lights switch-on ceremony next week.
But why does Norway send the UK a Christmas tree every year? Keep reading to find out!
How does the Norway Christmas tree get to the UK?
The tree is loaded onto a ship avoiding any contact with salt water, which could damage it, and sets sail for the UK
This year's tree stands at 19 metres tall and came from the Nordmarka Forest, just north of Oslo.
It was cut down in an official public ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe, and was also attended by local primary school children, as well as officials involved with the maintenance of the forest.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is usually a mature Norwegian spruce and between around 50 to 60 years old, due to the size needed.
The tree is selected from the forests surrounding Oslo with great care several months or even years in advance.
The tree then begins a long and complex annual journey to the UK.
First of all, it is driven more than 60 miles south of Oslo to the port of Brevik.
There it is carefully loaded onto a ship (avoiding any contact with salt water, which could damage it) and sets sail to the UK.
When it arrives in the UK, it goes through customs before being loaded onto another lorry for its ride to central London.
When it reaches Trafalgar Square, a specialist rigging team carefully puts the tree up using a hydraulic crane.
The tree will be decorated in traditional Norwegian style, with vertical strings of energy-efficient lights, Westminster Council said ahead of the official switch-on ceremony on 7 December.
Why does Norway send the UK a Christmas tree every year?
This year marks the 76th anniversary since Norway sent the first spruce to London.
The tradition started in 1947 and is a gift from Norway for Britain's support during World War II.
When Norway was invaded in 1940 the King of Norway at the time, Haakon VII, sought refuge in Britain and the Norwegian government-in-exile was established in London.
After the war, Norway began sending a Christmas tree to London every year as a way of saying thank you.
The tree symbolises the close friendship between the people of Norway and Britain.