“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” - Henry James

In celebration of April’s Afternoon Tea Party, and Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday (April 21), please enjoy the attached documentary from the BBC about the Queen’s life, as you sip your tea and nibble your scone.

Afternoon Tea for the Queen

The Queen is quite particular about what specific tea she drinks the majority of the time. Her “go to tea” is Twinings Earl Grey tea with a bit of milk and no sugar. The royals follow a long-standing etiquette tradition: pouring hot tea first, followed by milk (not the other way around), and tea bags are never used. The royals only use traditional loose-leaf tea, brewed in a teapot. Stirring is done back and forth, never in a circular motion and never touching the sides of the cup. Also, the tea should always be sipped from the cup and never slurped. 

Every day, the Queen takes afternoon tea. It's served with finger sandwiches such as cucumber, smoked salmon, egg and mayonnaise, or ham and mustard with the crusts removed, as well as jam pennies — tiny raspberry jam sandwiches cut into circles the size of an English Penny. The tea is also served with rich tea biscuits, scones, and cakes, her favorites being honey and cream sponge, ginger, fruit, and chocolate biscuit cake.