King Charles's former butler reveals correct way to drink tea
Prepare to upgrade your tea-drinking game as King Charles III's former butler, Grant Harold, spills the secrets of the ultimate cup-stirring technique. We all have our own special ways of savoring it—with milk, sugar, or maybe even a touch of lemon for that extra zest. But today, we are about to unveil the royal technique for stirring your cup of tea.
Stirr in a gentle back and forward motion
In a video interview with Hello! Magazine, Harold displayed the proper method for stirring tea: "a gentle back and forward motion." Demonstrating with a small spoon, he cautioned against using a circular stirring motion due to some potential adverse effects. "Because if you do that, you are going to make noise and it's going to go everywhere," he explained.
Keep your pinky finger down when holding the cup
Harold, who has served not only King Charles III and Queen Camilla but also Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, and Prince William, shared his advice on the matter. He suggests that when holding the cup, it is customary to keep your pinky finger down instead of up. Tea etiquette suggests that one should hold the teacup with two fingers with poise and avoid slurping.
Harold also shared the protocol for eating a scone
He mentioned two common methods of eating scones, a baked British delicacy: the Cornish way, with cream on top, and the Devonshire way, with jam on top. This discussion about the right way to eat a scone cog mes at an important time. Last week, Kate Middleton shared that she prefers jam first, followed by cream, which sparked a bit of controversy among Brits.
Garlic is a no-no for the royal family
The royal family has a few more rules when it comes to food etiquette. Queen Camilla herself confirmed one of these rules during her appearance on Masterchef Australia in 2018. When asked by the show's judge, Gary Mehigan, if there were any specific foods the royals are not allowed to eat, she responded, "I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no."
