DOES THE QUEEN PUT THE MILK IN FIRST? According to Grant Harold, the Queen's former butler, the answer is no. The royal family always add their milk last. This comes from a tradition from the 18th century.
The butler also revealed the steps to prepare a royal cup of tea; pour the tea into the cup from a teapot, add milk to the cup after the tea and never before, stir back and forth (never use a circular motion and never touch the sides). Lastly, you should always sip from the cup and never slurp.
The idea of adding dairy to your cuppa is thought to have first originated on the Himalayan foothills of Tibet. Tibetans would traditionally add yak's butter to their brew as a means of packing extra calories into their diets – vital during cold winters in the mountains.
These early European cups were very fragile and valuable, and adding hot tea sometimes caused them to crack. Pouring a bit of cold milk to the cups first would temper the cup, and lower the temperature of the tea being added, thus protecting the teacups from cracking.
When you put milk into infusing tea you lower the temperature of the water so a proper infusion can't take place. To get the best of your brew in a mug, always make the tea first to your taste and strength and the milk after.”
“Every day she would have what we called a 'cut cake' – meaning she would cut a slice of it off – small cakes like eclairs or raspberry tartlets, and then scones: one day plain, the next day fruit. And two types of sandwiches: smoked salmon, or Sage Derby cheese and tomato, roast beef, or jam pennies.”
English tea scones regularly appeared in Queen Elizabeth's afternoon tea selection, and they were always served with jam and clotted cream (cream heated rather than whipped to thicken). The queen apparently loved to eat seasonal produce and game from the gardens, rivers and estate of Balmoral.
Her majesty enjoyed teatime and was a big fan of tea sandwiches, always with the crusts removed. Her favorite filling was smoked salmon and cream cheese.
chocolate biscuit cake from the British royal kitchen
Chocolate biscuit cake is Queen Elizabeth's favorite cake ~ she would take a small slice every day with her tea, until the cake was finished, and then she'd start on a fresh one!
Queen Elizabeth II has eaten jam sandwiches every day since she was a toddler, according to her former private chef.
Yes, really! The monarch isn't the only royal to enjoy the afternoon pick-me-up, with the likes of Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and the Duchess of Cornwall all having their own individual preferences. It seems the assumption that the royals sip on Earl Grey and nibble on scones is only partially true!
For breakfast she keeps things simple. Royal biographer, Katie Nicholl, has previously said: "HRH typically starts with a simple cup of tea and biscuits, followed by a bowl of cereal." (The Guardian previously reported she likes to keep it in Tupperware to preserve its freshness.)
Breakfast. Queen Elizabeth prefered to keep it simple when it came to breakfast. A bowl of Special K with some assorted fruits was apparently her go-to meal to get the day started the right way. On special occasions, she allegedly treated herself to some scrambled eggs and smoked salmon if she felt like it!
The most traditional format is three courses, though many afternoon teas now serve much more. "There's the savory course with tea sandwiches, the scones course served with clotted cream and jam, and, finally, the third course of sweet pastries," said Hemery.
The correct order to eat the traditional Afternoon Tea is to eat the sandwiches and savouries first, then move onto the scones, ending on the sweets. There are many traditions and superstitions about the way you should eat your scones.
It comes from the fact that cultured people would eat their tea goodies with three fingers and commoners would hold the treats with all five fingers. Thus was born the misguided belief that one should raise their pinky finger to show they were cultured.
The queen has a number of people on staff who cook for her and there aren't any reports that she has ever had to make her meals herself. But she does prepare her own breakfast. For the most important meal of the day, the monarch eats cereal and fetches it herself.
Reports are conflicting, but her former staff have cited her partiality to Darjeeling tea, as well as Assam and Earl Grey, with no sugar. If you're wondering what cereal The Queen ate, her choice was apparently Kellogg's Special K, although she also dabbled with Quaker Oats and Weetabix.
Kate Middleton is known for her trim figure and reportedly swears by a bowl of oats every morning as the grain is filled with energy and fibre that can boost weight loss by increasing fullness.
Prince of Wales reveals he has two eggs for breakfast and white fish for dinner - and three cups of tea because 'the kids keep him up' The Prince of Wales revealed his daily diet during a trip to Cornwall - and said he drinks three cups of tea because Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis 'keep him up. '
Twinings of London Earl Gray Black Tea
Speaking of tea… You might as well try a cup of the queen's favorite. It's been reported that Her Majesty often enjoyed Twinings of London Earl Gray Black Tea — a classic and all-natural selection that includes notes of citrus and bergamot — with a splash of milk and no sugar.
Royal tea is a fancier version of afternoon tea, which includes a glass of champagne or similar alcoholic drink. It is also referred to a champagne tea.
Queen Elizabeth seemed to have taken this to heart, eating lighter meals composed of simple proteins and vegetables at night. A longtime sportswoman, Queen Elizabeth frequently dined on venison, wild birds, or other game — often sourced on one of her properties — or salmon fished from the River Dee at Balmoral Castle.
The Queen was said to have four meals a day but only eat small portions at each. She began her day with a cup of Earl Grey tea (Fortnum and Mason, and Twinings are thought to have been favoured) and a biscuit followed by a bowl of Special K, poured from an airtight Tupperware container to keep the cereal crunchy.