The Regal Rules for Girls (12 page)
Finger sandwiches are meant to be consumed with your fingers.
Scones should be sliced in half horizontally and then topped with jam and clotted cream.
When you pronounce “scone” it should rhyme with
John
, NOT with “bone.”
Clotted cream is like a cross between butter and ice cream—sweet, thick, and dreamy. There is a regional debate over whether cream or jam is spread first on a scone (in Devon, they believe cream comes first; in Cornwall, they believe jam comes first). As an American, this is one case where you can do what you like.
Scones are not donuts. Please don’t dunk them in your tea.
B
EST
A
FTERNOON
T
EAS IN
L
ONDON:
I highly recommend that you discover this decadent and delicious English pastime for yourself. My favorite afternoon teas are listed below:
The Orangery at Kensington Palace
Set beside Kensington Palace, and along the meticulously manicured Kensington Gardens, this is a refreshingly affordable teahouse for girls seeking royal refuge and refueling. The Orangery itself, designed for Queen Anne in the eighteenth century, is a glass building with magnificent Corinthian columns. Tea is served à la carte (which is great for those days when you’re not in the mood for sandwiches
and
scones
and
cake). That said, piles of scones and a wide assortment of traditional cakes are tiered on a grand central table, so you can peruse your options before ordering. In the summer you can sit out on the terrace and ponder the regal view. The Orangery does not take reservations, but it’s worth the wait.
www.hrp.org.uk/kensingtonpalace/Foodanddrink/Orangery.aspx
The Soho Hotel
Another reasonably priced tea option, this hotel is one of the most glamorous destinations in the bustling heart of London. Afternoon tea can be taken in the hotel’s sumptuous Drawing Room or in the Library—both overflowing with plump cushions, velvet sofas, and to-die-for drapes. I held my London “hen” party here (that’s what they call bachelorette parties), and it was the perfect place for ten girls dressed in mandatory pearls and twinsets (I couldn’t have dreamed of a better dress code) to scoff pink champagne, lemon drizzle cake, and strawberry tarts before heading to the Roller Disco à la Kate Middleton.
7
Call ahead to reserve.
www.firmdale.com/london/the-soho-hotel/afternoon-tea
Claridge’s
When Claridge’s first opened back in 1812, it quickly gained a worldwide reputation among aristocracy as the
only
place to stay when one was visiting the British capital. During the aftermath of World War I, many aristocrats were forced to sell their splendid London houses and move into Claridge’s on a permanent basis. (Believe it or not, without the expense of maintaining a large
household staff, to many, this arrangement was actually
cheaper
.) And during World War II, when many of Europe’s royal families were dramatically exiled from their countries and palaces, once again dozens of noble families sought permanent refuge at this luxurious five-star hotel. So, basically, if you’re of royal blood and have nowhere to go—Claridge’s is the place for you. (In retrospect, instead of enduring the trauma of my English dorm for a single minute, I should have headed straight to Claridge’s and announced that I was a victim of royal exile.) There is a famous saying that goes, “To arrive at Claridge’s is to have arrived.” And when you walk through the opulent, art deco lobby of this historic hotel, you’ll know why. Afternoon tea is pricey, but it is “all you can eat” so feel free to ask for extra trays of scones. Reservations are essential.
www.claridges.co.uk
/
Thank-You Notes
Handwritten letters are a dying art, and England is one of the last bastions where the art of correspondence still thrives. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that mail was delivered regularly four times a day and Londoners thought nothing of posting a letter in the morning for a friend to read at lunchtime! The Royal Mail really is one of the glories of the nation. You can walk into a UK drugstore (or “chemist”) and ask for a popular brand of shampoo and be told sorry it’s on order and will take ten days; dry cleaning can take anything from three weeks to three years—but first class letters always miraculously arrive within twenty-four hours of posting.
Yes, sending an email is easier. But because we are living in a world where even our parents are on Facebook, handwritten correspondence is more important (and more meaningful) than ever before. Princess Diana was known for sending thank-you notes for
even the smallest of deeds and doing it almost immediately. It can’t hurt to emulate this royal icon for a variety of reasons (fashion and philanthropy at the forefront), but getting into her habit of writing thank-you notes is a good place to start. It takes no time at all (you can start and finish a note while your tea is brewing), and even less if you have the proper writing equipment.
Invest in a box of luxury, watermarked stationery (Crane and Smythson are my favorites); if you can afford to, get it personalized with your address (but never your name).
www.crane.com
www.smythson.com
Remember that you must always say “writing paper,” never “notepaper.”
Use a nice, pretty pen (anything that is not a leaky ballpoint will do).
Write your thank-you note as soon as possible after receiving the gift/hospitality.
Your note should be personal, sincere, warm, witty, and to the point.
Thank-you notes should not sound overly formal; instead write as if you’re speaking to the recipient.
Place a first class stamp of the Queen in the corner of the envelope, and walk it to the nearest red postbox. (If done correctly, you’ll feel like a character in a Jane Austen novel.)