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.
The team at Persephone Books revealed “a tiny etiquette drama” occurred when they “weren’t sure whether to pour the milk for her, or not.” Tea-pouring etiquette can be stressful, and is only exacerbated by royal etiquette that may change the official rules. "Always remember we pour the tea first followed by the milk," former royal butler Grant Harrold instructed in an interview with Warner Hotels. “That’s the way the royals like to do it."
Whether or not to pour the milk for your guest, etiquette expert William Hanson told TV viewers “whether it’s the royal household or a smart house, or indeed your own house—it doesn’t matter where—always let the guest put in the milk or sugar.” Hanson explained that asking guests to pour their own milk is “much nicer just to let your guests decide [the amount of milk to pour] rather than do it for them.”
After their tea and natter about their favorite books and period dramas, the Persephone Books team showed the Queen “why our books are so wonderful.” They showed her their printing process, before sending her home with three news books from their publishing house, “if she ever has time to read them.” After the tour of the bookshop, the team shared that “there was a large and affectionate crowd waiting outside to see her.”
Tea, books, and BBC dramas—I’m not sure it gets any better (or more British) than that.
