How to host your own royal tea party

royal tea party

The Queen turns 90 this week, and to celebrate we know families across the country will be hosting their own birthday tea party to say many happy returns to our longest reigning monarch.

Whether you venture out for coffee and cake or choose to host your own royal celebration, here at Linens Limited we’ve created a guide to the perfect tea time; giving you the knowledge and advice to host the most traditional  royal tea party for friends and family.

tea party

What is a tea party?

Elegant tea parties became increasingly popular in the Victorian times, with ladies serving tea and cakes in their most ornate room, with their closest friends. A traditional tea party should only consist of 6 – 8 guests to create an intimate gathering, on occasion there may be a guest of honour which means guests should wait to eat and leave, until the guest of honour has done so.

tea

What do you need for a traditional tea party?

Table decorations may need to tie in with your tea party theme; if you choose to host a British royal tea party then you may want to have union jack napkins and table cloths. However, most traditional tables are dressed with lace or fine cotton tea cloths, and a small bouquet of flowers from the garden for a touch of homely elegance. Some of the items you’ll need for your tea party may include;

  • A tea set; complete with tea pot, sugar and milk jug.
  • Tea cups and saucers with matching plates for savoury and sweet treats.
  • Small tea spoons for each guest and servers for the food and sugar cubes.
  • Napkins, traditionally they should be linen but can be paper depending on taste.

napkins

Royal tea party etiquette…

Hosting your own royal tea party requires the correct etiquette for you and your guests, from the correct way to hold your cup, to the strict napkin rules (yes that’s true!) Let us take you through the traditional behaviours at a tea party;

1) Offer your guests sugar, milk or lemon with the tea: sugar is always added to the tea cup first before the milk, however milk and lemon do not go well as the acid of the lemon can cause the milk to curdle.

2) Try to use loose leaf tea where possible, there are hundreds of flavours available and always work better within a tea pot giving a beautiful aroma and taste.

3) It’s customary to lift your tea cup and saucer off of the table before taking a sip, ensuring that your thumb and index finger meet in the middle of the handle to create natural harmony with your other fingers.

4) Eat savoury treats then move onto sweets, however if scones are being served and they are still warm it is acceptable to eat them first to make the most of the flavours. You are allowed to use your fingers, providing the food on offer is small enough.

5) Napkin rules: place your napkin carefully on your lap, until such time as you need to vacate the chair – it must be then be placed on the chair as you leave. Once the tea party has come to an end, the host will pick up their napkin to signal tea time is over. Once the signal has been made, all other guests should pick up there own napkin and place it loosely to the left hand side of their plate.

tea party

Add a comment