Former Royal Butler Reveals the Unusually "Strict Etiquette" Surrounding One Drink Served at the Palace

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially British pastime, and Queen Elizabeth was particularly dedicated to sitting down for tea and scones each day. The public might not think of coffee as particularly royal, but members of the Royal Family also indulge in a freshly brewed cup—and as former royal butler Grant Harrold reveals, there were some rather precise rules for serving drinks when he worked for King Charles.

Speaking on behalf of Coffee Friend, Harrold says, "In royal households, there is a strict etiquette when it comes to serving coffee and tea. Cream is never added to coffee during the day, it is only used in the evening, and always after 10:30 p.m. During the day, milk is used instead, and it is always added after the coffee has been poured."

“Presentation matters too," he adds, noting that "coffee is served in a demi cup after dinner, while a teacup with a saucer is used during the day." You're unlikely to see a member of the family using a tea bag, Harrold shares.

“While tea bags are occasionally used, the royals much prefer traditional loose tea leaves for a more refined experience," he explains. As for specific members of the Royal Family, Harrold says that Queen Elizabeth "preferred tea over coffee."

"The only time I saw her having a freshly brewed cup of coffee was after an event in the evening," he recalls. "Her favorite sweet treat with a cup of tea was a chocolate biscuit or cake."

King Charles is also a fellow "tea lover," Harrold says. The King "prefers to have honey instead of sugar" in his tea, and the former butler previously shared that King Charles also puts honey in his coffee.

"He has around three to four cups [of tea] a day, but it’s offered regularly in case he wants another cup or two," the Royal Butler author shares. Like his late mother, The King also enjoys sweets with his tea, preferring "a Bath Oliver biscuit alongside it."

Queen Camilla has been spotted shopping for tea at luxe London department store Fortnum Mason, but Harrold shares that Her Majesty "is fond of a cup of coffee," noting that she "reportedly ordered a cappuccino from Cafe Barni, which is quite milky coffee," while visiting Florence in 2017.

The Princess of Wales is said to enjoy an oat milk latte, and Harrold says Kate was also "spotted ordering a skinny decaf latte from Starbucks in 2013 when she was pregnant."

Prince William enjoys both coffee and tea, the former butler says. "During a 2022 trip to Cornwall, he revealed he drank a few cups [of coffee] a day," Harrold says. "He also said he enjoys tea in the morning with milk and sugar."