Fancy doing high tea like a royal? Now's your chance because the official Buckingham Palace shop is selling the most exquisite regal tea set inspired by Queen Victoria. "Serve your guests afternoon tea with this wonderful tea set," says the palace's Instagram post. "The delicate design is inspired by a service commissioned by Queen Victoria for the Great Exhibition in 1851." Wow, we want one. The Queen Victoria Tea Set is available to buy on The Royal Collection Shop website for £130 – yes a little steep but quite the impressive investment. Imagine serving tea to guests from this flashy teapot.
WATCH: An insight into Queen Victoria's life
The English bone china tea set is Exclusive to the Royal Collection Trust and features the cypher of Queen Victoria as the centrepiece of the service surrounded by decorative floral borders. The set is handmade in Stoke-on-Trent using traditional methods which unchanged for over 250 years. It's also finished by hand using – wait for it - 22 carat gold. The set includes a teapot, cream jug and sugar bowl.
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Queen Victoria lived from 1819 to 1901, reigning for 63 years from age 18. When she dies, the country greatly mourned her loss and the past monarch is still talked of fondly today.
The website is also selling a Great Exhibition tea set for £115, stating: "The exquisite pattern of this English fine bone china is taken from a dessert stand which formed part of a Minton service purchased by Queen Victoria at the Great Exhibition in 1851." So if you're really into your royal china, you could purchase both sets and alternate at tea parties.
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A portrait of Queen Victoria
Now all you need to do is make your tea exactly as the Queen does. Her Majesty's butler, Grant Harold, previously revealed the monarch's favourite tea and how she takes it. Speaking about British etiquette in BBC Three comedy show Miss Holland, he explained: "I am sure the Queen enjoys her Assam or her Earl Grey the traditional way, made with tea leaves in a teapot and poured into a fine bone china teacup. She will also use a strainer. It is also a myth that members of Royalty use their pinky when drinking, I have never seen that happen once."
The butler also revealed the steps to prepare a royal cup of tea; pour the tea into the cup from a teapot, add milk to the cup after the tea and never before, stir back and forth (never use a circular motion and never touch the sides). Lastly, you should always sip from the cup and never slurp.