Jo Steer

The public must have sighed in relief as buildings were reopened and bands lifted.

In Charles's England, godliness and enjoyment

were no longer adults.

Once again, people were allowed their simple pleasures.

This is the world into which Catherine arrived along with her tea habit.

It was just the right time for a tasty new drink and a new ritual.

The tea was imported from China, where its history stretched back hundreds, if not thousands of years.

To this day, tea remains an important part of Chinese culture, as do the rituals around it.

It's possible that in the 17th century, word of elaborate Chinese tea ceremonies reached England.

But whether or not English tea drinkers were directly inspired by the Chinese, they gradually came up with their own rituals and rules of etiquette.

In the late 17th century, tea was generally enjoyed by women, either in a private boudoir or a room called the closet.

This was a small room, but gorgeously decorated.

It was well suited to entertaining friends.

The tea set would be kept within this room and displayed on its own designated tea table.

Some sets might be kept within a decorative wooden box, while others were left out on opulent tea trays.

The set included delicate, beautifully decorated pieces, including Chinese porcelain that had been imported.

Water would be heated at the fireplace and then poured into a porcelain teapot onto a scattering of dry tea leaves.

the tea would be left to brew for five or so minutes.

And then it would be poured through a tea strainer into delicate porcelain cups.

Unlike the Chinese, the English added milk to their tea, perhaps to soften the flavor.