The British custom of afternoon tea is generally credited to Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, around 1840.
Who started afternoon tea
Most historians agree that Anna, Duchess of Bedford, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, began the practice when she started ordering tea, bread, butter, and cakes in the late afternoon to bridge the long gap between lunch and a fashionably late dinner. As she began inviting friends to join her for these afternoon refreshments, the idea spread through upper-class society and evolved into the formal social ritual now known as afternoon tea.
How it became a tradition
Although informal afternoon refreshments may have existed earlier, the Duchess of Bedford is widely recognised for turning this into a distinct social custom with set timing and light food. Once the aristocracy adopted and popularised the practice, hotels, tea rooms, and cafés helped standardise “afternoon tea” as a hallmark of British culture.
