Royal Trend Setting: Catherine Braganza and Tea in England

Catherine of Braganza

Social media today produces countless trends, from music, to video, to challenges, and finally to food. Culinary trends such as dalgona coffee and baked sushi owed much of their buzz from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Trends crosses boundaries faster than ever before – a hit in the Americas reaches Asia in a matter of days and even hours. But before the Information Age, trends travel slower with limited audiences. The role of influencers fell to royalties, such as the case of popularization of tea in England by Catherine of Braganza.

Tea and England

The mid-16th-century England vied with the Netherlands for commercial and naval supremacy. Both possessed substantial naval forces and commercial fleet. Both also had bases in the Far East that sent exotic oriental goods like porcelain and tea to Europe.

Tea flowed into Europe in the 1650s becoming a fad in Amsterdam and Paris. While in England, small shipments of tea started to be expensively sold. The East India Company presented King Charles II with about 2 pounds of tea in 1660. Moreover, Thomas Garraway made a name for selling tea in his shops in Exchange Alley and Sultaness Head. He promoted the oriental drink as a medicine such as in the case of his 1658 advertisement:

That excellent and by all Physicians approved China Drink called by Chineans (Chinese) Tcha, by other Nations Tay, alias Tee, is sold at the Sultaness Head, a Cophee (Coffee) House, in Sweetings Rents, by the Royal Exchange London.

Moreover, he peddled it as a memory enhancer, sleeping aid, and disinfectant. Nobles took tea as a medicine and supplement rather than a staple drink. Its taste alienated some including Samuel Pepys. He wrote in 1660 the first written account in English of tea drinking. He recounted during a meeting drinking a “China drink” but he failed to describe vividly the experience. This suggesting his either lack of interest or simply not his cup of tea. Perception of tea, however, changed with the arrival of Queen Catherine of Braganza.

Catherine Braganza

Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza arrived in England 1662 to marry King Charles II. She came to England after the paying a tremendously expensive dowry that included ports and trading rights for England. Despite her lack of great beauty and wit, many respected her for her strong heart, especially after living with the fact that his husband made a name for his multiple liaisons.

Furthermore, she remained an important figure in court becoming an influencer of her time. Many credited Catherine of Braganza for popularizing tea as a leisure drink rather than a medical supplement. She said to have brought with her tea leaves from the Far East and brewed some for her guest. Besides the tea, her use of exquisite porcelain teapots and cups gained attention and eventually a fad. Soon the nobility followed the Queen’s lead and began to take tea in their luxury. In 1663, Edmund Waller in his poem Of Tea, Commended by her Majesty presented during Queen Catherine’s 25th birthday praised the her for popularizing tea, writing:

Venus her myrtle, Phœbus has his bays;

Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise

The best of queens, and best of herbs, we owe

To that bold nation which the way did show

To the fair region where the sun does rise,

Whose rich productions we so justly prize.

The Muse's friend, tea does our fancy aid,

Repress those vapours which the head invade,

And keeps that palace of the soul serene,

Fit on her birth-day to salute the Queen.

Tea continued to grow until it became a widely sought after drink. It changed the economic landscape of England and the course of history.

A Myth?

Initially, works credited Catherine of Braganza as the royal who introduced tea drinking to England. However, as abovementioned, some questioned her role. George Van Driem in his work The Tale of Tea: A Comprehensive History of Tea from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day argued that Portugal never imported large quantities of tea from their Asian ports at that time and that the Dutch dominated the tea trade. He also wrote that Waller crediting the Queen for the introduction of tea meant to erase the fact that most tea in England came from their rivals - the Dutch. Moreover, the work of Agnes Strickland Lives of the Queens of England published between 1840 and 1848 famously credited Catherine of Braganza for introducing tea to England without naming a source. Now, a fact Catherine of Braganza did not introduced tea to England, but many still credited her for popularizing it.

Aftermath

Tea grew in popularity in England altering culture, cuisine, and world history. After Catherine of Braganza, its popularity persisted and importation of it grew. It further went in high demand during the Victorian Era when afternoon tea grew in popularity. This, however, brought an economic crisis for the Kingdom. England imported too much tea and other oriental goods from China resulting to a trade imbalance. English silver flowed rapidly out of the country and into China for its tea. Alas, the story of opium trade and the decline of the Qing Empire.

Summing Up

Catherine of Braganza changed English preferences and perception of tea. From a medicinal supplement, she popularized it into a staple beverage. Her royal trend setting made tea into a hit that continued well beyond her time and profoundly changed culture and history. 

See Also:

Arriving of Tea to Japan 

Discovery of Tea in China 

Invention of Afternoon Tea

Bibliography:

Charrington-Hollins, Seren. A Dark History of Tea. Barnsley. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books, Ltd., 2020.

Hopley, Claire. The History of Tea. Barnsley. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books, Ltd., 2009.

Moffat, M. Afternoon Tea: A Timeless Tradition. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2012. 

Pettigrew, J. Afternoon Tea. Hampshire: Jarrold Publishing, 2004. 

Van Driem, George. The Tale of Tea: A Comprehensive History of Tea from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill, 2019.