Christmas traditions feel timeless, but many of them were shaped in royal courts, whispered through rebellions, or polished by kings with questionable taste.
That’s the surprising thread running through a festive episode of the Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things podcast, where historians Kate Williams and Robert Hardman dig into how monarchy has quietly influenced everything from carols to Christmas trees.
And yes, even the songs you belt out without thinking may come with a side of royal drama.
Carols With Secrets, Not Just Snowflakes
According to Williams, Christmas carols are anything but innocent.
Behind the warm harmonies and candlelit nostalgia lie stories of power, scandal and political scheming. Some songs celebrate kings openly, while others may be hiding their loyalties in plain sight.
One carol in particular, O Come All Ye Faithful, has sparked years of debate among historians who suspect it may be far more subversive than its cosy reputation suggests.
A Hymn That Might Have Meant “Rise Up”
The song is thought to have been written around 1743 by John Francis Wade, an English Catholic who made his living teaching music and producing beautifully hand-copied manuscripts for wealthy families.
After the failed Jacobite uprising of 1745, Wade fled to France, joining many other supporters of the exiled Stuart dynasty.
The Jacobites, determined to restore the Stuarts to the British throne and return the country to Catholicism, were constantly looking for ways to signal loyalty without attracting attention.
Some historians believe Wade may have done just that — through music.
Latin Lyrics and a Clever Royal Pun
Originally written in Latin, the carol’s famous refrain invites listeners to behold the newborn “King of Angels,” translated as Regem Angelorum.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Some scholars argue that Angelorum sounds suspiciously close to Anglorum — Latin for “of the English.”
If that was deliberate, then the lyric may not have been about angels at all, but about the rightful King of England: the Stuart claimant, Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Under this interpretation, “the faithful” weren’t all Christians, but faithful Jacobites, quietly being encouraged to hold firm and prepare for action.
Hidden Symbols and Quiet Loyalties
Adding fuel to the theory, Wade’s manuscripts were often decorated with unmistakable Jacobite imagery, including oak leaves and roses, both symbols of Stuart loyalty.
Williams suggests this makes it easier to believe that Wade might have embedded political meaning into his work.
As she puts it, the message could be read as a polite but pointed nudge: keep your weapons ready — the Stuarts will rise again.
A Stuart King… Eventually
Williams also can’t resist a historical twist of irony.
While the Jacobites failed spectacularly in their own time, she notes that their wish may have come true in an unexpected way.
Prince William is distantly related to the Stuarts through Princess Diana, herself linked to Charles II.
By that logic, Britain may once again have a Stuart-descended king — just not in the way 18th-century rebels imagined.
Why the Theory Still Raises Eyebrows
Not everyone is convinced. For starters, the true authorship of O Come All Ye Faithful is still debated, and there’s no clear evidence that Jacobites of the time recognised the song as a secret anthem.
There’s also the awkward question of timing.
Why write a coded call to rebellion years before the uprising actually happened?
And if the message was so important, why does it seem to have gone unnoticed by the very people it was meant to inspire?
A Carole Wrapped in Mystery
Rebel anthem or simple hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful remains one of Britain’s most cherished Christmas songs.
Its real meaning may never be fully known — another reminder that history often leaves us with more questions than answers.
So the next time you sing it, you might pause for a moment.
You could be celebrating the nativity… or unknowingly echoing a long-forgotten political cause.
Where to Hear the Full Story
To dive deeper into royal intrigue, rebellious hymns and festive power plays, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things wherever you get your podcasts — or catch the episode on YouTube.
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