This weekend I went for a fabulous afternoon tea at the Bentley Hotel in Knightsbridge. I will create a guide to London Afternoon Teas here on the blog soon, so that you will always be able to choose your perfect place! My review of the tea at the Bentley Hotel will come later on this week, but here is a sneak peek of the hotel and of the history of this wonderful tradition:
The Bentley Hotel
Afternoon tea has been a dear tradition for almost two centuries and was “invented” by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. Legend has it that she was visiting the 5th Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle in the 1840’s – a point in time when people would eat their breakfast in the morning and quite a late dinner, with only a light bite for lunch. Now this would have set anyone’s blood sugars plummeting, which is exactly what must have happened to Anna as she complained about “a sinking feeling” in the afternoons. She came up with the clever idea of asking for tea and cakes or sandwiches to be sent up to her room daily. and she found these afternoon snack sessions so delightful that she soon started inviting her friends to join her. It didn’t take long for afternoon tea to become an established tradition in many middle and upper class households!
Lady N modelling a 1930′s Art Deco Pearl and Marcasite Ring
I just adored the seating area at the hotel, where we had our afternoon tea – how can you feel like anything other than a princess in a setting like this?
I love getting dressed up for afternoon tea – of course you don’t have to worry about what to wear, but I think it makes it one notch more special to wear a nice dress and of course some antique or vintage jewellery! My dear friend Lady N is here modelling our favourite 1930’s pearl ring.
1930′s Art Deco Pearl and Marcasite Ring at the Bentley Hotel
Decades of Elegance 