Tea has played a significant role in much of human history, but do you know that it has also been an important wedding gift? Throughout history, tea has been both a gift to the couples and a symbol of their unity throughout many cultures.
Probably the most significant wedding tea that was given was as a gift to the country of Great Britain in 1660, when Charles II first brought it into the country.
Previously, the mischievous Oliver Cromwell had sparked a revolution that forced most of the aristocracy to either leave the country or perish. So Charles II, after marrying Princess Catherine of Portugal, had lived in exile in Denmark.
At that time in Denmark, tea was already popular throughout the country, and both Charles and Catherine were huge fans.
Not too long later, when Cromwell misplaced his head, the couple was able to return to England. They also brought a delightful chest of tea with them, which was met with thirsty enthusiasm by the British court.
This gift provoked the craze for tea in Great Britain (in which the English are still fully embroiled), who then passed along the thirst to their Yankee counterparts in the early Americas.
Charles II is often referred to as the “Merry Monarch,” which one must conclude is due to his passion for life, love and the pursuit of great tea!
