where did afternoon tea originate
Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularised in England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza, it was not until the mid 19th century that the concept of âafternoon teaâ first appeared. Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four oâclock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight oâclock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner.