How did afternoon tea start?
Queen Victoria transformed afternoon tea into a global tradition by championing the Victoria Sponge, a simple yet elegant cake that became a cultural icon.
In the mid-1800s, the British ate only two meals a day—breakfast and a late dinner around 8:00 PM. This left a long, hungry gap in the afternoon. To address this, Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, began requesting tea and light refreshments in her dressing room. Queen Victoria, a close friend, adopted the habit and elevated it into something far grander. She began hosting lavish "tea receptions" at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle that could accommodate up to 800 guests. Her favorite treat—a simple sponge cake layered with raspberry jam and double cream—became known as the Victoria Sponge. Through her royal endorsement, what started as a practical solution to hunger became a prestigious social ritual that eventually spread across the British Empire and the world.
Nerd Mode
The tradition of afternoon tea originated around 1840 with Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. At the time, the British diet consisted of only two meals: a large breakfast and a late dinner around 8:00 PM. The Duchess complained of a "sinking feeling" during the long gap between meals and began requesting tea and bread with butter in her dressing room.Queen Victoria, a close friend of the Duchess, quickly adopted the practice. By the 1860s, she began hosting "tea receptions" at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. These events could accommodate up to 800 guests, firmly establishing afternoon tea as a formal social requirement for the British upper class. The Queen's preference for a simple sponge cake filled with raspberry jam and double cream led to the dessert being named in her honor.The Victoria Sponge was revolutionary because it utilized baking powder, a chemical leavening agent patented by Alfred Bird in 1843. Unlike yeast-based cakes, baking powder allowed cakes to rise higher and achieve a lighter, more delicate texture. This culinary innovation, combined with the Queen's royal endorsement, helped the tradition spread throughout the British Empire and eventually around the globe.
Verified Fact
FP-0002541 · Feb 16, 2026