IT HAS lived deep in the forest, carefully tended so that one day it will become queen. This is not a mythical fairytale figure but a 60-year-old Norwegian Spruce. In fact it is the Norwegian Spruce.
For this 65ft tree has been declared Queen of the Forest and is to travel 700 miles over land and sea from north of Oslo to the streets of London and Trafalgar Square.
To many the lighting of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree with its 900 LED lights marks the start of the Christmas season.
However, it is so much more than just a sign that the festivities have begun. Its story and the reason for this most generous of gifts from the people of Norway is one of friendship and gratitude and a tale to warm even the coldest of hearts.
"This tradition symbolises not just our thanks to the UK but our two nations' friendship," said Fabian Stang, the Mayor of Oslo, at an informal tree-felling ceremony in Nordmarka, a sustainable forest about 30 minutes north of Oslo, on November 19.
"It is a bit difficult to tell the children about the war because it is almost impossible for them to understand what people went through during that time," said Fabian, "but at least let them see the importance of friendship, for without friendship, there is no peace."
In the Second World War this friendship would come to the fore. When German forces invaded Norway in 1940 the ruler of Norway, King Haakon VII fled to Britain.
In London he established a government-in-exile. This enabled Norway to retain its sovereignty and provided a base for the Norwegian resistance movement.
Norway has never forgotten this and, as a mark of gratitude, every year since 1946 it has given a Christmas tree to Britain.
"The Queen of the Forest was selected 10 years ago and people have given it time and lots of space to grow and flourish and these are the very things needed for any great friendship," said the Lord Mayor of Westminster, councillor Sarah Richardson, as children from two schools in Oslo sang carols.
This tradition symbolises not just our thanks to the UK but our two nations' friendship
Hot coffee was offered around from an enormous pot which sat near a blazing open fire and kanelbolle (cinnamon buns) were consumed to keep warm against the chill air during the 90-minute ceremony at which Jane Owen, the British ambassador to Norway, was present.
It would be impossible not to feel Christmassy in such an atmosphere.
Quite how the tree is selected is certainly an exercise in dedication and care and is the task of Jon Christiansen, chief city forester for Oslo City Council.
Christiansen, who is the eighth generation of his family to come from Oslo, looks after hundreds of potential Trafalgar Square Christmas tree candidates but is responsible for many, many more trees. Each year up to seven trees are selected, marked and monitored as potential trees destined to be sent to London.
He explained: "We travel around the forest and look for trees. This was spotted eight to10 years ago. We then cut down the trees around so it gets enough light and sometimes fertilise it to help the branches. We liked the form and the balance of this particular tree which is about 60 years old."
Jon admitted it is bittersweet seeing the tree leave the forest. "One year I would like to go on the ship with the tree to London," he said.
The journey is quite an arduous one. Once the tree was cut down it had a police escort to the port. It then left Oslo last Sunday by sea and arrived at Immingham Docks near Grimsby yesterday, from where it will be transported to a secret location and then driven to Trafalgar Square (the route is not disclosed for security reasons) where it will arrive at about 6am tomorrow. The tree will be lit on Thursday.
ABOUT 20 people will be involved with the operation at the docks and Trafalgar Square. Jon saw the tree in Trafalgar Square last year when he visited.
"It's marvellous to really feel how important it is for people," he said.
The magic of the forest is also clearly not lost on Jon: "The geographical centrepoint of Oslo is in the forest so it makes it a magical place," he said, adding humorously: "We have a man who has seen trolls, in fact he knows all the trolls."
The beautiful landscape, the promise of trolls and the forest have a magic that has caught the eye of filmmakers, most recently Disney.
It used some of these aspects of Norway to create the fictional kingdom of Arendelle in Frozen, the animated film inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. Trolls (one of which, the Troll Priest, Gothi, is voiced by Jack Whitehall) and snow feature heavily in the film but on this occasion there was none to give that extra Christmas edge to the tree-felling.
"I'm sorry we don't have snow," said Fabian. "If you come back in a few weeks I can promise you some."
Snow or not, the tree-felling ceremony is a very special event imbued with thoughts of friendship, kindness and peace.
"For us it can seem like it is only a tree in the forest," said Jon, "so it was important to see how much it means to people in the UK.
"This Queen of the Forest has been tended with lots of love and care and we hope the people of London and the UK enjoy it."
Frozen is at cinemas from December 6 (Disney.co.uk/Frozen) Norwegian Air (norwegian.com) flies to Oslo from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh several times a day from £34.90 one way. The Grand Hotel (grand.no) offers double rooms from £170 per night. For more information go to visitoslo.com or visitnorway.co.uk