Tea Time at The Orangery at Kensington Palace

On a rainy afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely tea at The Orangery at Kensington Palace.

The Orangery was originally built for Queen Anne in 1704 as an elegant greenhouse of various citrus trees. It was eventually transformed into an area for social gatherings and entertainment. Today, it is visited by thousands to enjoy traditional afternoon tea. Our Study Abroad members had tea time at the Orangery on Monday, which was a unique experience for all of us. 

We arrived to The Orangery in early afternoon, and I was pleased to find it was among beautiful gardens near the Kensington Palace. An entire room was reserved for our group and we sat in tables of about 4-6. Tableware was all carefully arranged upon seating, and soon hot English tea and 3 tier platters of small sandwiches, biscuits, and sweets were served. The atmosphere was both elegant and relaxing, and I enjoyed in participating this centuries-old  British tradition. 

Although we learned a bit about the history of The Orangery from staff, I couldn't help but think of more questions throughout the sitting. Is this tradition still relevant or appreciated mostly by tourists and visitors? Is tea time a young, old, casual, or formal occasion? Do most young people like myself here still go for tea, or just drink it at home? The context of this whole tea time thing was a bit baffling, and again I was reminded of the complexities of culture. There are so many little components to a culture, such as tea time, that compose entire lifestyles and ways of thinking. These are the social constructs under which business operates, and so then I saw why even us as engineers should think about something as seemingly insignificant as tea time. 

I would highly recommend visiting The Orangery for afternoon tea if you have the opportunity. Whether with a large group or a few friends, the unique atmosphere is worth experiencing at least once. Opportunities like this are what define the Study Abroad experience, and I am looking forward to the many more that London has to offer. ~Kali