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Detail showing Queen Victoria drinking tea at a Buckingham Palace Garden party
Tea in the Royal Collection

The ritual of tea drinking as represented in the Royal Collection

MARCELLUS LAROON THE YOUNGER (1679-1772)

A Musical Tea Party

Signed and dated 1740

RCIN 403544

By 1734, the merchant Thomas Twining (1675–1741) was importing more than 13,000 lb of tea per year from China and Japan. All tea sold at this date was highly taxed, costing 20-30 shillings per pound by 1728. As one observer wrote, 'everything of that kind grows very dear'. Tea was thus a highly luxurious item and the tea service became a highly-valued and often ornate phenomenon by association. This is reflected in the genre scenes of the period, which often show the tea service prominently displayed on the table – as in this painting. The work is a 'comedy of manners', with a group of guests – ranging from a fat vicar to a grim-looking thug – competing for the attention of their hostess.


    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.