A History of Afternoon Tea
To celebrate the launch of The Ideal Countess, I decided to host a virtual tea party. Not only do I love a good cup of tea, but the beverage features prominently in most Regency/Victorian romances, so it seemed appropriate.
It also made me wonder: when exactly did tea become such a staple to British aristocracy?
Luckily, other people have answered that question. Here’s my very high-level research on tea, afternoon tea, high and low tea, and England.
When Did England Start Drinking Tea?
England wasn’t the first European country to adopt tea as a national beverage. When Catherine of Braganza married Charles II in 1662, she brought it with her from the Portuguese court.
But tea wasn’t immediately adopted by the British populace. Up until the early nineteenth century, tea was too expensive for the average Joe, and it wasn’t associated with afternoon visits. The aristocracy usually drank it at breakfast and in the evening, after the gentlemen had their segregated cigars and port.
While non-aristocratic families like Jane Austen’s would have had tea, it was kept under lock and key. Servants got to reuse the tea leaves, and from there the tea leaves were used for cleaning purposes.
It wasn’t until the early 1800s, when tea prices started dropping, that the entire nation could afford to drink it.
When Did Afternoon Tea Become a Tradition?
In the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, the Duchess of Bedford started getting hungry between luncheon and dinner. Her solution: order tea and snacks served to her private chambers to tide her over.
What started as a private activity became social when she invited her house guests to join her, and soon, all of the upper crust used afternoon tea time as an excuse for visiting.
It’s worth noting that “afternoon” really meant four or five in the evening. The upper classes stayed up late socializing, so they’d wake closer to midday and they didn’t eat dinner until seven or eight.
What is High Tea vs Afternoon Tea vs Low Tea?
As an American, I grew up calling fancy tea parties “high tea.” It turns out, I was very wrong about that!
The Victorians used “high tea” to refer to the supper eaten by the working classes, since they ate at a regular sized table with regular-sized chairs.
In contrast, the Duchess of Bedford and her friends would have been drinking “low tea,” because they were slung back in drawing room chairs, which were lower to the ground.
Nowadays, the British use “afternoon tea” to refer to a formal tea.