As a major bibliophile, it was unsurprising to see Queen Camilla visit the historic, literature-famed city of Bath for a series of royal engagements. The Queen visited Persephone Books, a bookseller and publisher who republish “neglected fiction and non-fiction, mostly by women writers and mostly dating from the mid-twentieth century,” where she revealed her very British teatime habit. While it may seem incredibly mundane to some, how you take your tea (Milk? Sugar? Or are you particularly rogue, and add honey?) is a subject of interest, especially for the Royal Family. The team at Persephone Books quenched our thirst for royal tidbits as they revealed the Queen requested “milk and one” for her cup of tea.
The British tea ritual carries its own lingo, with words like 'assam' and 'darjeeling' entering the casual lexicon the same way coffee drinkers speak of 'cappuccinos' and 'doppio espressos.' Queen Camilla’s “milk and one” request means she takes her tea—almost certainly an English Breakfast, or a classic blend like PG Tips, Fortnum and Mason’s Royal Blend, or Yorkshire tea—with milk (usually whole cow’s milk) and one spoon of sugar. Prince William takes his tea the same way, while Princess Kate requests just a splash of milk, and the King prefers a spoon of honey.
