Tea began in Great Britain in the 17th century.

A fancy of England and to a patriot Englishperson, the words "Afternoon Tea" brings back home.

Tea drinking started back to King Charles II and his bride Catherine of Braganza, Portuguese.
After King Charles II who was in exile in Holland was restored back to the throne after the demise of Oliver Cromwell.  King Charles II bride Catherine brought the custom tea-drinking to the English court.

The English public not only like the idea, the English public copy this style of tea drinking tea.
King Charles II and Catherine set the fashion for tea drinking. 
In the mid-1700's this tea fashion gave rise to "tea gardens".  Vauxhall and Ranelagh were famous English
gardens for "tea gardens".  The fashionable would gather in gardens to take tea and share gossip.
You see, the image of photographs in the London Times of ladies in the pictures wearing hats and white gloves. 
These ladies are sipping tea on the lawns of Buckingham Palace.

You also see Earl Grey tea and wafer-thin salmon sandwiches on the lawns.  Remember while sipping their tea
the scent of full-blown roses. They enjoyed fluffy scones, strawberry jam and cream, wedges of Victoria sponge
cake and slabs of shortbread.

By the end of 1700 "tea gardens" became more at home personal trend. 
This trend was started by Anna, Duchess of Bedford.  The Duchess of Bedford had three meals. 
A heavy breakfast.  A light lunch and a large dinner around eight or nine o'clock.   The Duchess of Bedford would
complain about feeling faint around five o'clock.  To ward off this problem the Duchess of Bedford had a late
afternoon tea with different assorted sandwiches and some small cakes like again the famous Victoria
sponge cake and slabs of shortbread.  This tread set by Anna, Duchess of Bedford became... Afternoon Tea.

A woman who was manger of a company called Aerated Bread Company (ABC) in London, would invite regular
customers into the back of the shop for "a sport of tea".  This idea was so liked, fancy by many she turned the
afternoon tea into a profitable enterprise.  This idea was also mocked by Mr. J. Lyons who opened a corner shop
in London to provide tea for shop and office workers. 

Aerated Bread Company (ABC) and Lyons teashops soon became chains in England.

United Kingdom at every level from private to government have "Afternoon Tea" at 4:00 pm.  In large London office you had the tea lady who pushed a cart, a tea cart through the corridors of building every afternoon.
Small hotels and boarding houses set afternoon tea in their lounges.  Even on the beach no matter what the
weather was traditional afternoon tea must be taken.  In England at four o'clock life is afternoon tea.

Its society, United Kingdom, afternoon tea became an established ritual only stoppable by God, God the Father.