History of Afternoon Tea Week

For many people, when there’s a mention of afternoon tea, the U.K. pops to mind instantly, and rightfully so, too, because the tradition of having tea during the afternoon was started in England in the 1840s. Anna Maria Russell became the Duchess of Bedford in 1939, after her husband, Francis Russell, ascended to the position of a dukedom. While on a visit to the fifth Duke of Rutland, Russell started feeling lethargic and hungry. In the nineteenth century, it became normal to have dinner served and eaten from seven to nine at night. Because this was so late, a small meal called ‘luncheon’ was created. However, the luncheon meal also failed to keep the hunger pangs at bay.

This is when she came up with…