Elizabeth Taylor’s Granddaughter Recalls Christmas Morning with the Late Icon: ‘Granny Liked to Spoil Me’ (Exclusive)

Naomi Wilding has fond memories of her grandmother’s generous spirit

Elizabeth Taylor’s granddaughter has special memories of the late icon during the holidays.

Speaking with PEOPLE while sharing a preview of the House of Taylor’s look back at the actress’ generous gift-giving, granddaughter Naomi Wilding recalls spending one particular Christmas with the Cleopatra star.

“When I was 6, my mum was very unwell, so she brought me to Los Angeles to stay with my dad while she recovered. Dad wasn’t really settled in the U.S. yet, so I pretty much lived at granny’s house — in one of the rooms that later became a closet,” she recalls to PEOPLE.

“That stay coincided with Christmas. I remember falling asleep next to the tree in the living room, and waking up to the sight of dozens of boxes addressed to me under the tree.”

Wilding was mesmerized by the “most elaborate” gifts that Taylor, then 50, had meticulously picked out for her.

“All were from Saks 5th Ave. — a silk nightdress and dressing gown by Christian Dior, dresses by YSL, Chanel, and Dior, as well as jackets and outfits by Saks. They were all exquisite, and completely impractical for the rural life I would go back to, but I loved them.”

Wilding did bring the treasured gifts home, though she wouldn’t get to keep them forever. “I had to buy a trunk in order to take everything home with me, and as I grew out of the clothes they would be handed down to the numerous local girls that lived nearby, despite my protests,” she says. “Granny liked to spoil me!”

In a blog post by the House of Taylor about the actress’ giving spirit, the Elizabeth Taylor archive discusses how much thought the star put into the perfect gift for each recipient.