The Tea Queen: Happy Birthday Queen Victoria!
An institutional character, a charismatic woman with a strong personality, it is she who has always inspired us and it is to her that we owe the beloved custom of afternoon tea performed according to the etiquette that, even today, we celebrate in our tea room.
On the occasion of the 201th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth, we have decided to give you a special gift that we are sure you will appreciate!
Before unveiling the surprise, let's discover together some curiosities about our beloved icon.
High tea in the Victorian era
When it comes to high tea, one immediately thinks of the traditional afternoon tea at 5pm accompanied by biscuits and scones. But it is much, much more!
High tea is a phenomenon of Victorian custom, linked to the rise of the bourgeois and lower social classes and brings us back to the English history of the 19th century.
Until then, in fact, tea was served and sipped in living rooms and often placed on small, low tea tables.
During these afternoons, the hostess offered her guests some small savory and sweet snacks together with tea, in an elegant and refined atmosphere, including porcelain, silver and sweet chat ... A tradition that Isabel Cargill and Anna Maria Babington have also handed down in Italy in 1893, opening our tea room in Piazza di Spagna!
The term High Tea would seem to derive from the fact that, around the mid-19th century, the working class used to accompany the evening meal with tea, consumed around 5 in the afternoon, on dining tables higher than the tea tables'. Another explanation of the term High Tea would lie in the fact that it was consumed later than the Afternoon Tea, replacing dinner in the homes of the working classes.
The ritual of 5 p.m.
Whether it was served in an upper-class house or in a more modest home, tea was the main character of meetings with friends or family.
In the elegant houses, the hostess served her guests tea, inside the special colored and decorated porcelain services, accompanied by a buffet of sweet biscuits and savory treats, respecting a very specific practice as required by the Victorian etiquette. .
In the homes of the working classes, however, the whole family gathered at 5 p.m. back from the hard hours of work, to enjoy the main meal of the day together, and often the only one. It was not a ceremonious and sumptuous rite - despite the custom of service by the hostess or the eldest daughter - but one of the few moments of conviviality and socialization that could be enjoyed in company.
Many argue that the 5 p.m. ritual was inaugurated by Queen Victoria on the day of her coronation, which took place in 1838 at Buckingham Palace. It is said that as a young woman, Queen Victoria was forbidden by her governess from having tea at all times of the day. For this reason, when she was crowned, the first thing she asked as a queen was "a cup of tea"!
We at Babingtons too know that it is always the perfect time to take the time to savor an excellent cup of tea. For us tea lovers, as for Queen Victoria, it's always tea time!
Babingtons' high tea: Victoria tea, for you
High tea in the Victorian era was truly a highly regarded social event!
In the Babingtons tea room every year we celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday by organizing a very elegant high tea, events and parties full of scents and flavors, filling the tea room with Victorian colors and glitter thanks to the wonderful period costumes and giving all the institutionality that deserves this rich and unique moment!
Letting ourselves be carried away a little by nostalgia, we remember last year's event with a beautiful video of the precious moments it gave us in our tea room, here in Piazza di Spagna!
This year, for the safety of each of us, we should give up our beloved meeting that you enjoyed so much last year, but we couldn't help but think of you.
We have decided to give you a special and precious gift: from 18 to 24 May you can enjoy a 20% discount on your beloved Victoria Tea!
Insert the code QUEENVICTORIA20 in the cart to get the discount.
Recreate the beauty of the Victorian era in your home with black tea dedicated to Queen Victoria: a hand-made, majestic and intense blend that will thrill you.
The irresistible scent of Victoria, due to the scent of violet flowers and spices, is made unique by the fruity and citrus aftertaste enriched with 23kt gold and silver leaves.
Dedicated to proud, strong and romantic characters, ready to do anything to make their wishes come true… like Victoria!
Even from afar, Happy Birthday our beloved Queen Victoria!
