According to legend, after the crucifixion of Christ, Josepth of Arimathea sailed to Britain (why is not explained) and landed at Glastonbury – at the time a lake island. There he thrust his hawthorn staff into the ground, where it immediately took root as a tree. The tree is said to be unique amongst hawthorns, flowering twice in a year to mark Jesus’ birth and resurrection in winter and spring. More likely is that this species of hawthorn was brought back from Palestine by Crusaders. Either way, it was cut down and burned as a superstitious relic by a Puritan soldier during the English Civil War. However, the tree is said to have gained swift retribution, one of its thorns blinding one of his eyes in the process. Having cut down many a hawthorn I can definitely attest to the fact that its vicious thorns on whippy branches demand a great deal of respect.
Happily, the soldier’s action and pain was to no avail as a cutting was secretly replanted and that tree is said to remain to this day. Every Christmas a sprig of this flowering thorn is sent to the Queen. It is said that this can be seen on the table infront of the Queen during her Christmas Day address, although I can honestly say that I have never met anyone who has claimed to have noticed it.