The ritual of afternoon tea began in 1840 when Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, asked for tea and bread and butter to combat ‘that sinking feeling’ in the late afternoon. Then, people tended to eat just breakfast and lunch, so it’s hardly surprising she felt peckish. The Duchess began to invite her friends to join her and, before long, this pause for tea became a fashionable social event.

Afternoon Tea, Cakes, London